Love in the Jedi Academy
by Writer Wannabe
Summary: Anakin is in the Jedi academy. Caleb is his new roommate and they are really close, though his sister Padmé is a little annoying. Anakin and Padmé just CAN'T get along...for now.
1. Nice to meet you

Anakin was saying good bye to his room mate Jenka, after four years of sharing the same dorm at the Jedi Academy. They had grown to be very close friends during that time, and they were really sad to be drawn apart. 

Jenka was leaving the Jedi Academy for personal matters. His father was very sick, and his mother needed him to help her take care of Jenka's little brothers and sisters.

"I've got to go or I'll be late", Jenka said sadly. Anakin forced a smile in an effort of lightening the mood and helped Jenka carry his bags outside the room. Once out in the hall, they dropped the bags and stood awkwardly in front of each other.

"Well, I guess this is good bye...", Anakin started. Jenka nodded and they hugged. "Take care, alright?"

"I will". They broke apart and shook hands. "See you, buddy". Anakin smiled and watched as Jenka walked away. After he was out of sight, Anakin walked inside his room and lied on his bed, depressed as hell.

Jenka was the closest thing he had to family. He was like his brother, they always took care of each other and get in trouble together. Being alone was going to be hard on Anakin. 

*

Anakin was at the dean's office, waiting to hear who his new room mate was going to be. This made Anakin really mad. Jenka had only left two weeks ago and already he was being replaced. Whoever his new room mate was going to be, it would take Anakin a lot of time to accept him.

"Your new room mate is an outstanding young man and a remarkable Jedi Padawan. Though he comes from a wealthy family he chose to enter the Jedi Academy in Alderaan. He has been transferred to Courasant to finish his training", the dean said as he read the file. The only part that Anakin seemed to hear was the one about his new room mate's social status.

"He's rich?", Anakin asked frowning. The dean nodded and left the folder on his desk.

"Yes". They stayed in silence for a moment. "Why, is that a problem, Skywalker?", the dean answered raising a brow. Anakin shook his head a little nervous.

"No, no, of course not", he answered in a shaky voice.

"Good. Now go, your new room mate will be arriving soon and I want you to be there to help him".

"Of course. Thank you, dean Flyus", Anakin said as he stood up. He shook hands with the dean and left to his room, not really looking forward to meet his new room mate.

*

A pile of boxes laid on the hall right in front of Anakin's room. He muttered something through his teeth and unwillingly walked inside. He saw a young man puting some clothes in the closet. Anakin realized that he would be sharing rooms with this guy until who knows when, so he decided that it was better to be nice from the start. He sighed and cleared his throat.

"Hi, I'm Anakin Skywalker, your new room mate", he greeted. The young man turned around and smiled. He reached for Anakin's hand and shook it.

"Nice to meet you, Anakin. I'm Caleb", he said smiling. Caleb had brown curly hair and brown eyes. It reminded Anakin of his friend Jenka.

"Do you need help with those boxes out there?"

"No, thanks. I'm alright", Caleb answered as he went back to his unpacking.

A couple of hours later, Caleb and Anakin were buddies. They found out that they had a lot of things in common, like they both rather have lightsaber practice than meditation sessions, and stuff like that. 

Caleb had a large family; two brothers and three sisters, and he was the younger brother. He also was the only member of his family that had ever studied to become a Jedi, and this made him proud. Most of his family was business people.

"So, Skywalker, do you have any brothers or sisters?", Caleb asked curious. Anakin got a little uncomfortable with the question. He had always wanted brothers and sisters, but his family was just him and his mother.

"No. My mom lives back in Tatooine alone. We used to be slaves, but somehow master Yoda discovered us and set us free. I'm waiting to become a Jedi so that I can go back and bring her over here. We haven't seen each other in years... I can't wait to be a Jedi, that way I will be able to take care of her", he explained.

"Wow, that's really nice of you", Caleb remarked. Anakin shrugged.

"She's my only family, it's the least I can do for her", he replied. Caleb nodded and they stayed quiet for a while.

"Oh, speaking about family! My sister is coming over for the weekend, I hope you don't mind...", Caleb mentioned.

"No, of course I don't mind, not at all".

"Great".

***

Anakin was walking through the temple's halls heading towards the caffeteria. He was so distracted that without noticing he bumped into some one. When he realized what had happened, he saw a girl lying on the floor, looking extremely mad. Anakin reached down to help her up.

"I'm so sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going...", he started, but the girl interrupted him.

"No kiddin' ", she said sarcastically. "You should watch where you are going, Jedi".

"Hey, I said I was sorry", Anakin said shocked. This girl was being really rude.

"Well, sometimes sorry is not enough", the girl muttered. "Men... they think that everything is solved with saying 'sorry'. I can't believe this, you are supposed to be getting some education in this place..."

"What's you problem?", Anakin asked frowning.

"That's none of your business. Now get out of my way", she spat out. She kept walking and passed by Anakin, pushing him out of the way with her shoulder. 

Anakin stood there with a "what the hell..." look on his face, wondering what was the matter with the young girl. He dismissed the issue and headed towards the caffeteria, ready to have a giant meal.

A couple of hours and five courses later, Anakin was heading back to his room. A girl Padawan caught his attention, and while he 'checked her out', he bumped into some one. Anakin fell to the floor, and he noticed that the other person was right in front of him, face on the floor.

//Oh no, twice in one day...//, he thought to himself. He reached for the other person's hand, and to his surprise he found the same girl he had bumped to hours ago, in the very same hallway.

"Oh no, not you again...", the girl muttered. She fixed her long blonde hair and stared coldly at Anakin with her brown eyes. Anakin helped her up and tried to take the dust off of her clothes. Clearly offended, the girl slapped him on the face.

"What was that for?!", Anakin asked grabbing his red cheek.

"And you have the nerve to ask? Your hands were all over me!", she almost yelled. Anakin laughed sarcastically and waved his hands in the air.

"I was trying to clean your clothes!"

"Yeah right, I've heard that one before...", the girl spat out. "Anyways, I gotta go. I have better things to do than discussing with little perverts in the hallway of the Jedi Academy", she said bitterly.

"Excuse me?", Anakin asked offended, but the girl was already on her way to the caffeteria. "Women..."

*

Caleb was reading a datapad from his lap when Anakin suddenly walked in, ready to tell his new friend about his little 'encounter' with the hysterical young female.

"Hey, Skywalker. What's up?", Caleb asked, not taking his eyes off the datapad. Anakin laughed and laid on his bed, putting his hands behind his head.

"I had an interesting experience today". This caught Caleb's attention, so he left the datapad on his night table and leaned on his elbow, waiting to hear more. "I was heading for the caffeteria when accidentally I bumped into a girl. I said I was sorry, and everything and for no apparent reason, the girl lost it!"

"That's weird...", Caleb said frowning. Anakin nodded.

"I know...", he added with a smile. "I've never seen some one lose it like that before! She even slapped me!". His hand reached for his cheek, as if he could still feel the stinging pain the girl's palm had left there.

"Well...?", Caleb asked smiling.

"Well what?", Anakin asked confused. Caleb smiled and raised his brows with a wicked grin.

"Was she pretty?". At his question, Anakin cleared his throat, a little uncomfortable. "Come on, you know you want to answer! There are not many girls walking around the temple, and I'd like to know if there are any pretty girls out there", Caleb insisted while he threw a pillow to Anakin with the Force. Anakin was off guard so the pillow hit him right on the face.

"Hey!", he said. Caleb laughed and Anakin soon joined him. "Alright, alright. She was...", just when he was about to answer, a girl entered the room. Anakin's eyes widened and he stood up. "YOU!", he said almost yelling. Caleb turned to the door and after a while he smiled. 

"Padmé! Wow, I wasn't expecting this surprise!", he said as he stood up and hugged his sister. Padmé returned the embrace and kissed her brother's cheek. "But why are you wearing this wig?", Caleb asked clearly confused. Padmé giggled and took the wig off, setting free long locks of chestnut hair.

"I didn't want you to recognize me if you saw me in the Academy", she explained.

"Well, it kinda worked". Caleb and his sister hugged once more and laughed, really happy to be with each other again. When they broke the embrace, Padmé looked around the room and her jaw almost fell when she saw Anakin. Suddenly, she blushed.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Padmé: this is Anakin, my new room mate. Anakin, this is Padmé, my little sister", Caleb introduced. Padmé reached for Anakin's hand and waited for him to do the same thing. Anakin hesitated before finally shaking her hand, just for a couple of seconds. Caleb noticed the tension between them and frowned. "Have you two met before?"

"NO!", they both said at the same time. Caleb raised his hands and stepped back.

"Alright, alright..., I'm sorry", he said smiling. Caleb turned to Padmé and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Tell me, Padmé, for how long are you staying and where?", he asked in an older brother tone. Padmé forced her look away from Anakin and looked at her brother.

"Until Monday, at the Salke hotel", she replied.

"That's great! I can't wait until Friday night, that's when they let us go out of the academy. I'll take you to this wonderful restaurant that I know. I'll take Crystal, so that you meet her", he said referring to his girlfriend. Then Caleb turned to Anakin. "Skywalker, you could go with Padmé. A double date... I haven't been in one for ages!"

Anakin turned white when he heard his friend's request. Padmé wasn't very pleased either. She and Anakin looked at each other, hating the fact that they would have to hang out together in order to keep Caleb from knowing that they had met before. And that they practically hated each other, even though they had just learned the other's name two minutes ago.

"So, what do you say, Skywalker?", Caleb asked smiling. Anakin shrugged.

"I don't know...", he said forcing a smile.

"Oh, come on, don't be shy... Padmé would love to go out with you, right Padmé?", Caleb asked turning to his sister.

"Can't wait...", she said sarcastically. //Why do you insist on playing matchmaker?//, she blurted at Caleb n her mind. She just wanted to scream. Caleb smiled and brought them together into a hug. "Caleb!", Padmé said annoyed, begging him to release her. Caleb let her go and stood between her and Anakin.

"Friday will be an interesting evening", Caleb said.

//You are damn right//, Padmé thought to herself. Anakin read her thoughts and nodded, clearly agreeing with her.


	2. An interesting night out

It was Friday night, and Anakin was waiting for Padmé outside the hotel while Caleb and his date, Crystal, waited for them in the cab. Finally, the doors of the hotel opened and Padmé walked out. Anakin looked at her from head to toe and opened his eyes widely. Padmé raised a brow and stared back at him a little uncomfortable.

"What?", she asked. Anakin opened his mouth a couple of times to talk but no words came out. "What?", Padmé pressed. Anakin looked at her and sighed.

"You look so beautiful!", he said in awe. Padmé blushed and smiled nervously.

"Really?", she asked trying not to smile and look like a teenage love-sick girl. Anakin looked at her again. Then he frowned and shook his head.

"No, actually you don't", he said smiling. Padmé rolled her eyes and muttered something through her teeth. Anakin laughed hard and closed his eyes. Roars of laughter came from his mouth, annoying Padmé to the bones. "You... you should've seen your face!", he managed to say.

"Oh, shut up! Where's my brother?", Padmé asked, eager to change the subject and forget the embarrassing episode. Anakin took a couple of deep breaths and pointed towards the corner of the street.

"Over there in the cab. Let's go, gorgeous", he said offering his arm. Padmé gave him a hard look and walked away. Anakin shook his head and laughed, following his date.

*

Courasant Night Club 

Once at the club, Caleb and Crystal started to drink and have what Caleb called 'fun'. On the other hand, Anakin and Padmé were competing on who was having the worst time. They were forced to sit next to each other because Caleb insisted on it, and being that close was almost repulsive. Padmé decided to tease her date a little.

"So, Ninikin...", she began. Anakin rolled his eyes.

"Anakin", he corrected.

"Right, Anakin! Right... so. That's an interesting hair style you have", she commented.

"Well, I'm a Jedi Padawan learner and it's part of the training to have this hair style, that way is easier to tell us appart from the masters and the other Jedi".

"Oh, I see, I see... I bet that you don't have much success with girls... that hair is a real turn off...", she said going back to her drink. "I'm glad that Caleb has no trouble on finding girls, even though he has that weird hair style. Well, I guess that it only suits some people..."

"Shut up. And for your information, I'm great with girls", Anakin corrected, hating the fact that he had sounded like a stupid teenager. Padmé smiled and raised a brow.

"Is that so? Well, I don't see any evidence to back up your theory".

"That's because I'm stuck with you", he shot back. Padmé sat straight and tried to think of an answer. They remained silent for a while until she got what she wanted to tell him.

"If you were as charming as you claim you are, you would have taken the opportunity to flirt with me", Padmé said in a sly tone.

"I only flirt when the girl is worth it", Anakin said before he stood up and walked away. Padmé was really offended by Anakin's words, and she was determined to have her revenge.

A couple of hours later, Anakin was still sitting at the bar and Padmé was talking to some drunk guy. She insisted on the guy to keep on drinking so that she could have her revenge on Anakin. When Padmé's new "friend" couldn't have one more drink, she pushed him against Anakin. 

All of the sudden and without previous notice, Anakin found himself covered in vomit. While the drunk guy 'rested' on the floor, all the people in the night club pointed at Anakin and laughed at him. Padmé just watched from the back, smiling evilly at him. He caught sight of her and frowned.

"Sorry, baby", Padmé mouthed from the middle of the dance floor. Anakin started to walk towards her but he slipped and fell on his nose, causing the laughing to increase around him. Anakin stood up blushing furiously and walked over to Caleb's table, trying his best to keep his dignity.

Luckily, Caleb was... well, lets say that he had had a little too many drinks, and his dignity was below Anakin's. Anakin took off his puke-covered cloak and dropped it on his seat. //You are such a loser… who goes out wearing Jedi robes?//, he asked to himself. He walked towards Caleb and softly slapped him on the face.

"Hey, Caleb, where's Crystal?", Anakin asked. Caleb opened his eyes and looked at Anakin. He smiled but then started to cry.

"Anakin, my good friend, Anakin! Women suck! She left me, man... Crystal left me and walked away with some...guy. In the end, no matter what happens, friends are the only thing that we have left!", Caleb said, still crying.

"Oh no, you are so drunk!", Anakin exclaimed. "Every time a guy says the 'friends are the only thing that matters' speech is because they are really drunk". Padmé came closer to the table and she was horrified to see her big brother impossibly drunker than he was.

"Oh, no! What did you give to him?", she asked. Anakin frowned and answered her in a raised tone.

"What do you mean what did I give him? He drank too much, he did this to himself", he said. Anakin realized he had been too hard on Padmé by the way she stepped back when he finished. Anakin took a deep breath and sighed. "Look, let's take him to the dorm. It's time to go anyways".

"You are right", Padmé said. Anakin put Caleb's arm around his shoulder and helped him to stand up.

"Of course I'm right", he said smiling. Padmé rolled her eyes and just followed him, puting Caleb's free arm around her shoulder. They made their best to get out of the club without being noticed and Anakin tried to stop a cab, but it just went pass them.

"Great, you can't even stop a cab...", Padmé muttered. Anakin heard her and turned to look at his room mate's very annoying sister.

"Oh, and I suppose you can do it", he challenged. Padmé raised a brow and stood on the sidewalk. She graciously raised her hand with a seductive expression on her face. A cab that was driving by stopped next to Padmé. 

"See? I'm a natural", she said as she opened the cab's door and sat inside.

"Wow, you must be really proud of your talent", Anakin whispered to himself. After a little strugle with Caleb, they both sat in the cab and headed towards the Jedi Academy. During the entire ride, Padmé and Anakin didn't talk to each other.

*

"Come on, let's put him on the bed", Anakin said as he carried Caleb inside the room, praying that the guardians weren't around to see them. After dropping his very... tired room mate on the bed, Anakin nearly crawled to his own bed and sat down. Padmé sat next to Caleb and took off his boots.

"Your brother's really heavy...", Anakin said as he rubbed his back. Padmé turned around and laughed as quietly as possible. "He is!", Anakin insisted. Padmé just shook her head and brought a glass of water out from the kitchen.

"Caleb, please take these", she said as she sat down next to her brother and brought a couple of pills out of her pocket. Caleb opened one eye and tried to lift his head. Somehow Padmé got the pills into his mouth and brought the water to his lips so that he would swallow the pills.

"What are those for?", Anakin asked curious. Padmé turned and looked at him for a second, to then turn to her brother.

"So that he doesn't wake up with a hang-over", she explained. Anakin smiled.

"Always prepared..."

"Well, you never know what will happen if you go out with Caleb", she said smiling. Padmé made sure that her brother was asleep and covered him with a blanket. Anakin observed the process quietly and smiled to himself. After a long silence he spoke up.

"That's really nice of you", he remarked. Padmé gave a little jump and turned to look at Anakin. She then looked back at her sleepy brother.

"What?", she asked shrugging. Anakin smiled and pointed towards Caleb.

"That. What you are doing for him, it's really nice", he repeated. Padmé smiled and ran her hand through her brother's hair. He muttered something through his sleep and turned to his side. Padmé let out a little giggle and nodded.

"Well, he's my older brother. If I don't take care of him, then who will?", she asked more to herself than to Anakin.

"I will", he answered. Padmé shook her head, still smiling. "Hey, I would! But still... I rather have a pretty girl taking care of me than taking care of my drunk room mate..."

Padmé slowly turned around and looked at Anakin. She raised a brow and curved her lips in a half smile. "Are you flirting with me?", she asked amused. Anakin smiled and tilted his head.

"Actually I…", Anakin laughed and looked down. Padmé smiled and searched his eyes.

"What?", she insisted. Anakin raised his brows and Padmé looked away, blushing furiously.

"Who said I was talking about you?", he asked smiling. Padmé rolled her eyes and sighed, returning her attention to her brother. Anakin could tell that she was mad because she kept muttering words and clenching her hands into fists.

"It's payback time...", Anakin said out loud as he laid on his bed. He was so happy that he had made her mad after the way she had treated him earlier that day in the hall and at the club that night. He could almost feel how humiliated Padmé felt. Satisfied with his victory, Anakin closed his eyes and fell asleep.

*

"What the....!!!", Anakin screamed as he sat up. He had water all over him, dripping from his clothes and hair. He looked around, now totally awake and found the source of the problem: Padmé. She was standing next to his bed and holding a glass of water, now empty, in her hand over Anakin's head, and smiling evilly at him. She raised a brow and leaned down, whispering into Anakin's ear.

"Payback time indeed...". Anakin was about to choke the woman, but she walked away and left the glass on a table. "Well, I've got to go. Seems my job here is done. Besides, I have better things to do than spend my time with whiners. Good bye, Ani!"

"Don't call me...!", Anakin started, but Padmé had already closed the door behind her.


	3. Lunch

The next day, Anakin and Caleb had planed to have lunch outside the Academy. After all, it was Saturday and they had permission to go outside the Academy's walls until dark. Everything was settled, until Caleb had the brilliant idea of inviting Padmé to join them. All Anakin could do was think how misserable his life was.

He really hated the girl, she always managed to get her way. Anakin thought of her as a spoiled brat. Though he disliked the idea of hating his room mate's sister, he couldn't help it. The woman was insane. It was hard to believe that she was part of Caleb's family.

Speak of the devil...

"Hi, Caleb!", Padmé greeted. She walked towards Caleb and gave him a hug. "How are you feeling?"

"Better, thanks to your magic pills...", Caleb answered smiling. Padmé frowned. Did he remember?

"How did you know?", she asked confused. Caleb placed his hand on Anakin's shoulder and smiled.

"My buddy here told me that you took care of me. Thank you so much", he said giving his sister another hug. "I hope that you don't tell mom anything about what happened last night", he said with a pleading look.

"I talked to her this morning, but don't worry, I didn't tell her anything about you. I just told her about Anakin's little incident with the drunk guy...", she said turning to look at Anakin with an evil smile. Caleb grinned and looked at Anakin.

"Hey, you forgot to tell me that part!", he said amused. 

"Well, I... Oh, nevermind. Let's go inside, I'm hungry".

"Sure, all this puke talk gets me thinking about food...", Caleb said smiling.

*

Once inside the restaurant, things didn't get any better. Anakin and Padmé didn't talk to each other at all, and Caleb was getting a little suspicious. What was the matter with them? Didn't they like each other? If Caleb knew the truth, all of his questions would've been cleared.

"Well, I'll leave you two alone for a moment", he said as he stood up.

"Why?", Anakin and Padmé asked at the same time. Caleb couldn't decide who had the most desperate look.

"I have to make a couple of calls. I'll be back in ten minutes". Before hearing any protests, Caleb left the table and walked away. Anakin and Padmé just sat there and stared at each other. They didn't bother to look aside when their eyes met, so they just shot daggers at each other through their looks.

Anakin hated to admit it, but Padmé was pretty. //Who am I kiddin'? She's gorgeous! I don't understand why the woman is so impossible! My goodness, I hate her! But she also has this...this... I don't know what, but she has it. And she keeps looking at me... What is she thinking?//, Anakin wondered intrigued.

//What is he staring at? Do I have something on my face? I hope I don't... What, what am I thinking? I hate this guy! But still, I hope I don't have anything, it would be so embarrassing... Why do I even care? It's not like I'm interested in his opinion or anything... But he is kinda cute though... My goodness, what am I thinking? Stop it! Stop it!! Say something!!//

"So tell me, Ani...", Padmé began.

"Don't call me that", was Anakin's reaction. Padmé frowned clearly confused, and shrugged.

"Why not?"

"Only one person can call me that", was his determined answer. Padmé made a disgusted face and looked at him.

"Oh, please don't tell me you have a girlfriend... Who would be stupid enough to put up with you?", she asked amused. Anakin rolled his eyes and leaned his elbows on the table.

"I told you I didn't have a girlfriend last night, and the only person that can call me Ani is my mother", he explained.

"So you are a mamma's boy...", Padmé said as she sat back on her chair and crossed her arms over her chest. She had no idea of how hostile was the ground she was walking into. Anakin got a little uncomfortable with the question and looked away.

"I don't want to talk about that", he whispered. Padmé's amusement grew. She kept thinking that Anakin was one of those kids who hid behind his mother's skirts trying to avoid the world. But there was more into Anakin and his mother than she imagined.

"I think that you are a mamma's boy", she pressed. Anakin looked at her and sighed. It wasn't Padmé's fault that she knew nothing about his past, but did she have to be so insistent?

"Could we please drop the subject?", he asked, doing his best to remain calmed.

"I don't think so, ANI, I would love to know more about your mother", she teased. Anakin lost it.

"I said drop it!!", he said in a hard tone as he hit the table with his fist. Padmé froze, afraid of his rection. He kept looking at her and breathing as if he had never tasted air in his lungs. After a while, he grabbed his cloak and stood up. "Tell Caleb that I had to go and that I'm sorry".

Anakin left a very puzzled Padmé behind and continued his way. After a couple of minutes, Caleb returned and sat down. He asked for Anakin and Padmé gave him the message. Caleb nodded and kept eating.

"Hey, Caleb?", Padmé asked shyly. Caleb grunted something and Padmé continued. "What's the story with Anakin's mother?". Padmé's brother looked at her and washed down his food with some water. He cleared his throat and sighed.

"Well, that's a very sensitive subject to Anakin. You see, he hasn't seen his mother in years, and he's waiting to become a Jedi so that he can go back to his home planet and bring her here. He doesn't like to talk about it that much, it makes him really sad", Caleb explained. "Why did you want to know?", he asked curious.

Padmé stood up and gathered her things together. "Um, nothing, really... Look, I have to go. See you later!"


	4. An apology

Padmé walked through the Jedi Academy's halls looking for Anakin. She felt terrible about what had happened and needed to apologize for what she said.

//Why are you so stupid? You just had to open your big mouth...//, she thought over and over. She finally reached the door to Anakin and Caleb's dorm and knocked. No answer. She tried to open the door but it was locked.

"Hello? Anakin it's me, Padmé, are you in there?", she called. She was about to walk away when she got an answer from the other side.

"What do you want?", came a tired voice.

"I wanted to apologize for what I said, I'm really sorry about what happened", she explained.

"Apology accepted, now leave me alone", was Anakin's dry reply. Padmé sighed and shook her head.

"I'm not leaving until you really forgive me, open up", she insisted. Padmé heard a heavy sigh from the other side of the door and smiled.

"Just a minute!", he said. Padmé clasped her hands together and waited until the door opened. She heard some locks being removed and fixed her dress. The door opened, and when she was about to talk, she found herself being splashed with a bottle of water. When the bottle was empty, Anakin dropped it on the hall and stared at Padmé.

"Now we are even", he said. It took a couple of seconds for Padmé to react, but when she did, she attacked Anakin in anger and pushed him inside. Anakin fell to the floor while Padmé threw the empty bottle at his face.

"Ouch, that hurt!", Anakin complained. Padmé almost yelled in anger but managed to control herself.

"I can't believe you! I came here to apologize for what I said and you make it worst! I wish I could take back my apology, but I can't!", she yelled. Anakin just looked at her, and Padmé felt intimidated by his look. She dropped her eyes to the floor and kicked a little ball that was there. "I also wish I could take back what I said in the restaurant...", she said shyly to then look at Anakin. "But I can't do that either. I already did what I came here to do, so now I'll leave. Good bye".

"Padmé, wait!", Anakin said as he stood up. Padmé turned around and faced him. Anakin could tell that she was furious. "I'm sorry for throwing water at you". His voice sounded honest enough to Padmé, and she found herself getting lost in Anakin's eyes. He tilted his head and his eyes softened. "Padmé?", he asked in a low tone that brought Padmé back to reality.

"Yes, Anakin?", she asked slightly shaking her head. Anakin smiled and raised his brows. "Oh, yeah, don't worry. I threw water at you while you were sleeping, I guess that was worst...", she said laughing. Anakin laughed with her but then they kept quiet.

//Am I actually having fun with her?//, Anakin wondered. Padmé asked herself the same question and the answer was the same from both parts: yes. The thought was repulsive to both of them.

"Yes, it was worst. You almost gave me a heart attack", he added trying to give a twist to the situation. Padmé was relieved that he did something to stop the awkward moments.

"Stop complaining! My goodness, you are like an old maid! I'm so glad I'm leaving on Monday, otherwise I would have to put up with you for longer than I really want!!", she yelled angrily.

"Get out!", Anakin ordered.

"Fine...", Padmé answered.

"Fine"

"Fine", she insisted. She walked outside and didn't turn.

"FINE!!!!!", he yelled and closed the door. "Thank the Force she's gone… I can't stand the woman", he complained, trying to convince himself that his words were real.

As Padmé left the Jedi Academy she bumped into someone. If she didn't know, she would've thought it was Anakin. She looked up and saw a tall man standing in front of her.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be so distracted", he smiled at her. Padmé returned the smile and straightened her dress. 

//Finally… a man with manners//, she thought.

"It's okay, I wasn't really looking where I was going". The man smiled at her again and extended his hand.

"My name is Kody, I'm a senior in this Academy".

"I'm Padmé. I'm just visiting my brother. Maybe you've heard of him, Caleb Naberrie?", she asked.

"Caleb is your brother?". Padmé nodded. "I can see the resemblance now… Caleb and I have saber practice together. He's really good".

Padmé blushed, not knowing why, and felt stupid afterwards. Kody smiled at her and offered her his arm.

"Allow me to get you a cup of coffee. We''ll get to know each other better", he offered. Padmé smiled and took his arm.

"I'd love to…"

Meanwhile, Anakin looked from behind a column where he couldn't be seen.


	5. Saturday Night Nausea

A.N: Okay, okay… I know it took me a while to update but I had to study a LOT. So, I just wrote this long chapter. I didn't have any time to check the spelling and grammar, because it's 4:14 AM and I'm not in the mood to re-read the chapter. 

Anyways, I hope you like it. I honestly think it deserves 50 reviews, and you? LOL

As he walked back to his room, Anakin thought of a way to get back at Padmé. An old maid, she had called him! As he built his plan, an image of Padmé taking Kody's arm appeared from nowhere. How could she even talk to that guy? He was such an idiot! To Anakin, Kody was your typical show off guy with no brains who liked to be watched by the opposite sex. He was a moron. 

What Anakin didn't know, was that Padmé was realizing this all by herself…

Padmé's fingers tapped the cafeteria table with annoyance. Kody was a jerk. As he went on with another of his obviously made up stories, Padmé's eyes drifted to the window.

"And I said: 'hey, are you talking to me?' and he said: 'yeah, I'm talking to you', and then I said: 'I know, I can hear you. You ARE talking to me', and the guy said: 'you are really smart, please don't kill me because I know that you're really strong', and I said 'I know, I work out twice a day', and then the guy said: ' you have great hair', and then I punched him and said: 'I'm not falling for that one again, no sir! No gay student will take advantage of me again!', and the guy said:…"

Padmé couldn't believe she had just heard that. Not only was Kody a homophobic airhead asshole, he was also terrible at making up stories. She glanced at him briefly and forced a smile. He wasn't even looking at her. He was looking at his reflection on a knife. Okay, he was good looking, she had to give him that, but he was SOOOOO annoying!! 

"So, I was thinking that maybe we could go out tonight, you know, you and me…", he insinuated. 

//I know the meaning of the word 'we', freak!!//, Padmé thought angrily. She was about to make up an excuse to get off the hook when her eyes caught Anakin walking inside the cafeteria with a beautiful girl wrapped all around him. He laughed with her and sat on the table across the small hall from Padmé. She glared at him and her jaw fell at the girl's boldness. She was straddling his lap and whispering things into his ear, for crying out loud! 

Furious, Padmé turned to Kody and interrupted his 'heroic tale' about when he rescued the cook from falling down the stairs. "I'd love to go out with you tonight", she said, the wide smile on her face so convincing that even Anakin bought it. He couldn't help to miss the way Padmé's hand covered Kody's.

Kody's brows raised several times suggestively. If Anakin weren't watching them, Padmé would've slapped the stupid bastard. Kody lifted her hand to his lips dramatically and kissed it. 

"Boy, are you going to get lucky…", he said, loud enough for Anakin to hear. Padmé giggled and brushed Kody's leg with her own under the table. Kody chuckled and stood up, still holding her hand. He tugged and Padmé stood up and followed him through the cafeteria. Padmé turned her head and shot a smile at Anakin, whom at this point was practically making out with the girl. Padmé's smile turned to a distasteful expression and she held onto Kody's arm. Anakin turned to the girl over him and cupped her cheek.

"So, um…"

"Nadyexzza", the girl reminded cheerfully. Anakin held back his scowl. 3000 girls in the academy and he had to pick the one whose name was beyond pronunciation. He smiled charmingly and played with a lock of her blonde hair.

"Would you like to go out with me tonight? It's Saturday, and I think they'll let us out today".

*

The music was loud, the air was gray with smoke, the floor was sticky and the room was SOOO hot!!! Padmé drank thirstily of her drink as she danced with Kody. A broom could dance more loosely than this guy. She just knew it. She tried her best to look good next to him, but he made it almost impossible. She brought his head down and said something to him.

"What? I can't hear you!!!!", he yelled. Padmé rolled her eyes and grabbed his hair.

"I said I'll be right back!!!!!!!", she screamed. Kody pulled back and gave her two thumbs up.

"Okay. Cool!!!". Padmé was about to kick him. She decided it was better to get the hell away from him.

As she wandered through the crowd, she caught sight of the bar. She gladly sat on one of the high seats and ordered another drink. The bartender complied and she took two quick sips of her glass and looked around. She almost dropped her drink when she saw Anakin walking inside the club with the same girl from the cafeteria. 

He looked… different. He wasn't wearing his Jedi robes like the previous night. Tonight he was wearing beige pants and a light blue shirt with three buttons left open at his neck and collarbone. She noticed that he had tanned skin and a wonderful smile. Padmé hated to admit it, but he looked handsome. On the other hand, his date was wearing an extremely short black skirt and a sleeveless red shirt with an illegal-looking cleavage. 

//She looks so cheap//, Padmé thought with disgust. She followed Anakin with his eyes and noticed how he and his date started dancing right next to Kody, who was dancing all by himself and, as he liked to call it, 'feeling' the music. He was so pathetic.

Padmé drained her glass in one sip and made her way back to the dance floor. She poked Kody's arm to acknowledge him of her presence and he turned around, smiling stupidly.

"Yeah! You are back! This is so cool, man!!! Kody in the house, y'all!!!!", he yelled to the top of his lungs, waving his hands in the air and bringing all attention to him. Padmé covered her face with her hair trying to pass unnoticed, but Kody slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. She looked for Anakin to see if he was watching. He was. Padmé smiled at Kody and wrapped her arms around his neck, moving her hips to the music.

Anakin's eyes opened widely and he turned to, um… his date and held her hips. The girl smiled naughtily and moved her hands under his shirt, touching his skin. Anakin swallowed hard and kept dancing. 

Padmé casually turned her head and saw Anakin's date touching his chest under his shirt. Determined to win their secretly imposed war, she pulled at Kody's neck and danced nose to nose with him, one of her hands descending through his chest. Strangely, Anakin wasn't looking, but his date was.

"Hey, what are they doing? I mean, hello??", she screamed. Anakin frowned, obviously confused. He understood half of what this girl said.

"Um… hi?", he said. 

"Look at them!", she said, pointing a finger at Kody and Padmé. "They think they are better dancers than us!". Anakin followed her finger and watched Kody's attempts to kiss Padmé, but she always moved her head and smiled coyly at him, making him believe that he would get a kiss later. The only though of Padmé kissing Kody made his blood boil. //Who could be sick enough to kiss Padmé?//, he thought forcefully. He shook his head and turned to his date.

"Let's prove them wrong, shall we? We are better than them!", he yelled, disbelieving he had just said that. //This must be contagious//, he thought. At his words, the girl started jumping up and down and clapping her hands.

"Yes, yes! Because we are like… the cutest couple! Ever!!", she said in her highly pitched voice. Anakin nodded cynically and pressed the girl against him by the waist, his head hidden between her neck and shoulder.

As Padmé turned her head to avoid Kody's lips, she caught sight of Anakin kissing his date's neck. Her eyes watched as his face moved higher and the girl grabbed his face and forcefully kiss him. That was it. Enough!

She looked back at Kody and noticed that he could barely keep his eyes open. He was ridiculously drunk. Suddenly, he collapsed into Padmé's arms. Padmé froze, horrified. 

As Anakin pulled away from his date, he turned to look at Padmé and noticed that she was fighting to stay in a standing position. Kody was pressed heavily against her and it was obvious that he had passed out. He made his way to them and pulled Kody away from Padmé, slipping the numb arm around his neck.

"He's drunk!!", Padmé stated the obvious. Anakin rolled his eyes.

"No kiddin'?!", he yelled back. His date looked carefully at Kody and gasped.

"Oh, Force! This is Kody!", she screamed. Anakin and Padmé exchanged confused glances and looked at the girl again. "He's my ex boyfriend! I didn't recognize him earlier, but now I know it's him!"

"O..kay…", Anakin said, arching a brow. His date sighed dramatically and held Kody in her arms. His eyes half-opened and looked at her.

"Nadyexzza?", he asked confused. Nadyexzza smiled and nodded. "I'm so glad you are here…", he said before passing out again. 

"Don't worry, baby. I'll take you home", she promised fervently. Her eyes turned to Anakin. "You can go now, Anakin. I'll take care of him. I rather be with him than with you"

Anakin never thought he would be so glad to hear those words from a girl. He smiled and walked towards the bar. Padmé just stood there, not knowing what to do.

"I better go home", she said to Nadyexzza. She didn't even look at her. Padmé rolled her eyes and walked towards the door. Anakin frowned and followed her. He caught up with her at the door and grabbed her arm.

"Where do you think you are going?", he asked seriously. Padmé raised her brows and shrugged.

"Um… to the hotel?", she said, as if the answer was obvious. Anakin sighed and shook his head.

"There are no cabs around at this time. You are not walking seven blocks by your own. I'll walk you", he stated. Padmé made a face at him and struggled to get free of his firm grip.

"No, thanks. I don't need you…"

"Look, Padmé", Anakin interrupted. "You can't walk alone in Courasant, especially if it's late and dark. What if something happens to you? I could never forgive myself", he pressed. They looked at each other for a long time. Realizing what he had just said, Anakin released her and walked over to the guard of the club. He said something to him and the guard nodded. Anakin walked back to Padmé with his jacket in his hands. "Here, put this on. It's very cold", he said as he placed the jacket on Padmé's shoulders. She stopped him and stepped back.

"I said I didn't need you", she insisted, trying to hide her trembling. She was really cold, and her black strapless shirt wasn't very warm. Anakin arched a brow and offered her the jacket again. Padmé rolled her eyes and took it from his hands to then put it on. Anakin smiled satisfied and started walking.

They walked the seven blocks to the hotel in silence, secretly spying each other from the corner of the eye. The tension between them was unbearable. Padmé sighed in relief when they finally reached the hotel lobby. They stood facing each other, the awkward silence cutting through them.

"Thanks for walking me to the hotel", Padmé said, hating the fact that she was thanking him for anything. Anakin nodded and smiled nervously. Padmé couldn't help to smile in return and took off the jacket. "Here", she added as she handed the jacket to him. Anakin received it and held it in his arm.

"Um… Do you want me to take you to your room, I mean, you floor?", he suggested, his voice cracking a little. Padmé swallowed hard at a loss of words.

"O… Okay", came the shaky whisper. They stood in silence for a while longer, not knowing what to do. "Well, let's go"

She had to be in the 93rd floor. Not the second, the tenth, or the twentieth. It had to be the 93rd. Anakin thanked whoever had designed the fast elevator. The door opened with the sound of a bell and they stepped out. Anakin followed Padmé, his fingers entwined in front of him, not knowing what else to do with his hands. Padmé stopped at her door and turned to face him.

"Thanks again"

"You are welcome", he answered. Two full minutes of awkward silence followed his response. They stared hard at each other. Padmé's heart was on her throat. Anakin could feel his beating strongly in his stomach. He cleared his throat and stepped back. 

"Well, I guess I should go", he cut in. Padmé released the breath she had been holding and nodded. "Bye"

"Bye", she mimicked. As he walked towards the elevator, Padmé remembered something. "Anakin?"

His head shot up. "Yes, Padmé?"

"What did you mean when you said you would never forgive yourself if something happened to me?". She couldn't believe she had just asked that. //What am I, a Nadyexzza?//

"Oh, that". Anakin smiled and looked at her. "Well, you are Caleb's sister, and he's my best friend", he answered. Padmé smiled and nodded. It was good to know that Caleb had good friends. 

"I see". The elevator's bell rang and interrupted the moment. "Good night".

Anakin bit his lip and nodded, his eyes fixed on the floor. He looked at her and gave her a lopsided smirk. "Good night, Padmé". Then he was in the elevator and out of her sight.  


	6. Confused Pair

It was a cloudy Sunday morning, and Anakin was in the Academy's gardens meditating. Gently, he started to levitate. He was about a foot over the floor when he started to move forward in the air. His goal was to levitate over the fountain and to the other side. He was halfway there when…

"Hi, Anakin"

The Padawan lost his focus and opened his eyes. His arms wove in the air and he fell to the cold water of the fountain. Finding himself soaking wet, he stood up and stepped out of the fountain. He looked up to see where the interruption had came from and found Padmé laughing her lungs out at him. He scowled and walked towards her.

"That was so funny!", she managed to say in between giggles. Anakin stood in front of her, all seriousness, and stared hard into her eyes. Finding herself under his intense gaze, Padmé's laughter started to die and transformed into heavy breathing. 

"You are so childish…", Anakin muttered. Padmé's jaw fell open in shock. Childish, he had called her! Who did he think he was, Mr. Adult? 

"Shut up! What makes you think you are so mature?", she questioned in disbelief. Anakin arched a brow as if the answer to her question was obvious. Padmé sighed, clearly annoyed. "You go out with a girl you don't even know her name and start making out with her in front of everyone!!"

Anakin studied her face. Her skin was flushed and her breathing came in quick pants. She was furious. He couldn't help to smile at the adorable sight.

"What are you smiling about?", she asked, her anger growing inside her. Anakin chuckled and squeezed the hem of his shirt, the water dropping to the floor and forming a puddle at his feet. 

"You look cute when you are angry", he replied with a half smile. Padmé's head was burning with embarrassment and her cheeks turned to a darker red. Anakin laughed again and lifted her chin with his hand and leaned down. "Specially when your cheeks are flushed like that", he added, his lips two inches away from hers. 

Padmé swallowed hard and kept eye contact with him. A sudden smile fell on her lips. Anakin smiled confused and drew his brows together. His expression turned from confusion to pain when he felt Padmé's pointy shoes kicking his shins. He screamed in pain and pulled back, falling to the floor and rubbing his leg. Padmé smiled satisfied and turned around.

"Bye, Anakin…", she said cheerfully. "Always a pleasure to embarrass you…". She entered the Academy and disappeared from the gardens.

Anakin stood up and ran after her. He wouldn't let her get away with hers again. When he caught up with her he grabbed her hand and stopped her. Padmé turned around, her hand flying to his cheek, but he caught it in mid air and held it firmly at her side.

"Let me go", she warned. Anakin shook his head and looked around. They were in the middle of the hall and people were staring at them. He was still dripping water from his clothes and he had a tight grip on Padmé's hands. Anakin decided it was better to be in a more private place and dragged Padmé into one of the many auditoriums of the Academy. Once inside, he closed the door and locked it. Padmé watched in disbelief, her heart pounding wildly against her ribcage. She tried to ignore the fact that being alone with Anakin in an empty room was what was making her so nervous.

When he turned around Padmé could see that he wasn't angry as she thought he would be. He was hurt. She stood quietly and fixed her eyes on the floor. Seeing his eyes so sad broke her heart for some unknown reason.

"Padmé…", he started. When she didn't lift her eyes from the floor, Anakin sighed and lowered his head to look into her eyes. "Padmé, please look at me", he pleaded. He had never spoken so softly to her before. Something inside her told her she could trust him, so she lifted her head and looked into his eyes.

"I'm sorry", she whispered. Anakin reached for her hand and softly squeezed it. Padmé's heart almost popped out of her chest.

"It's okay", he whispered back. An awkward silence settled between them. Anakin noticed for the hundredth time how beautiful her eyes were. He didn't know that his intense blue gaze still left Padmé in awe. "Why can't we get along? We are always trying to make the other look bad and we don't know each other"

"I know you are a wonderful man", Padmé confessed. Anakin swallowed hard. Not thinking, he pulled her into his arms in a loving embrace. Padmé sighed on his shoulder and tightened her arms around his neck. It felt so right.

"Forgive me if I made you feel uncomfortable last night in the club", he apologized. Padmé smiled against his wet cloak and softly shook her head.

"Don't worry, I wasn't behaving like a lady with my date". Anakin laughed sarcastically.

"Well, if you call 'that' a date…", he snorted. Padmé frowned and pulled back.

"What do you mean?", she asked. Anakin rolled his eyes and smiled.

"Kody is an idiot, he only thinks about himself and the way he looks", he explained. Padmé stepped back and out of his arms, her arms crossed in front of her chest.

"Excuse me, but your date wasn't the wisest girl in the Academy…", she shot back. Anakin knew he shouldn't be angry at her comment because she spoke nothing but the truth, but his pride went further than his reasoning.

"Well, at least she was tall enough to pass for a woman", he spat angrily, his arms crossed over his chest. That was it. Nobody told Padmé Naberrie she was short! Her hand flew towards his face and stopped when her palm made contact with his cheek in a hateful slap. She hit him so hard his head turned to the side and stayed there for a while as he recovered.

Before she knew it, Padmé was trapped against the wall by Anakin's body, his hands holding hers hostage above her head. She could see the telltale mark of her slap imprinted on his cheek. Anakin watched as she released her right hand from his grip, sliding down the wall and to her side. He gasped when her palm cupped his cheek, the gentle fingers tracing the angry red mark. 

She didn't have the courage to meet his eyes, so she just stared at the hand attached to his cheek. He forced her eyes to his by tilting her chin with his hand. Only then did Padmé realize what they were doing. And, frankly, she didn't care.

"I'm sorry", she whispered for the second time that morning. Anakin softly shook his head and leaned closer. Padmé closed her eyes and…

To be continued.

Am I evil or what?


	7. A New Feeling's Resolution

A/N: Sorry for being so evil before. I was just bored. Vacations can be a bitch when you have to stay in the city working your ass off…

Anyway, this story won't be the typical "I love you Ani / I love you Padmé / then let's get married!" thing. I'm trying to make it real and the idea is for it to follow average teenage behavior with its ups and downs, mistakes, and all that. Complicated… very complicated…

In this chapter the story has a little twist.

Enjoy. If you do, then leave a review and make my day.

*******************************************************************************************************

"Hey, kids! Open up! I have to clean the auditorium!", came the impatient voice from the other side of the door.

Padmé and Anakin pulled back, both startled by the intrusion. While they decided whether to stay there or open the door, the janitor was faster than them and unlocked the heavy door. Immediately they took a step back from each other, Padmé's hands resting behind her, Anakin's dismissively placed in his pockets, an unknown tune whistling from his lips. The janitor's head peeked from behind the door and raised his brows suggestively.

"Oh… Sorry, kids. I hate to interrupt, but…", he couldn't finish for Anakin's hand wove in front of his eyes.

"You didn't see anything. You will clean the auditorium and finish your job", he ordered firmly. The janitor mimicked his words and walked pass them, mopping the floor and repeating Anakin's orders to himself.

"Was that necessary?", Padmé whispered demandingly. Anakin gently urged her to a corner and leaned down so that the janitor couldn't hear them.

"Yes, it was. I know Jarreg, he has the biggest mouth in the Academy and in no time he would've started gossiping about what he almost saw. Believe me, I've known that Janitor for years…", he explained smiling. Padmé's hard look swept the smile from his face and he cleared his throat. "What?"

"You can't manipulate people like that just to get yours!", she argued. Anakin frowned in confusion. "Don't give me that look! What you just did was horrible!"

"Padmé, it's nothing. If I have powers I'm allowed to use them…"

"Yes, but for good, not for your advantage!", she interrupted.

"Excuse me, but it was also for YOUR advantage!", he corrected.

"I never asked you to do that! You can't get into someone's head and play with their minds just to avoid some stupid gossip!". She was agitated once again. And this time, Anakin didn't think she looked cute.

"Well, that 'stupid gossip' could've gotten me in BIG trouble! I could've been kicked out of the Academy!"

"For what?", Padmé asked, her ironic smile making Anakin furious.

"We are not allowed to have relationships inside the Academy, only on our days off!!", he almost yelled. Padmé giggled sarcastically and folded her arms across her chest.

"And what makes you think we have a relationship?", she asked amused. But Anakin wasn't amused at all. She was playing with his feelings.

"We were about to kiss, and for what I know, from a distance that might look as if we are in a relationship", he spat out through clenched teeth.

"We were about to kiss? I don't recall wanting to kiss you…", she said in between evil giggles. Anakin advanced on her and pushed her against the wall again. He slid his arms around her waist and leaned closer. Padmé's eyes opened widely and all she could do was stare at his lips which were coming closer and closer to hers. She surrendered to the strange feeling rising inside her and closed her eyes. She could feel his breath on her mouth and the warmth of his face on hers.

Then the warmth was gone. Anakin pulled away and tilted his head, forcing Padmé to open her eyes, his smug smile confusing her. Her breath came in short pants and her skin was flushed once again.

"Mmm, I guess you are right. You never wanted to kiss me", he commented. Padmé frowned and shook her head. "What? Are you going to deny it?", he pressed.

"No. I feel sorry for you", she whispered earnestly. Anakin chuckled.

"Really? Why, if I may ask?". The silence screamed. Padmé sighed looked into his eyes, her intense look making him weak on the knees.

"Because you chose your pride over your feelings; you use your powers for stupid things while they could be used for more constructive things. If you wanted you could already be a graduate from the Academy, but you are too scared to see it"

"And what am I scared about?", he asked, the smile still lingering on his lips.

"You are afraid of disappointing your mother. You fear that she will be disappointed after seeing that deep inside you are still a little boy and not the man you pretend to be", she stated. Anakin's face hardened at the mention of his mother. He stepped forward and backed her against the wall. His intimidating size scared Padmé and all she could do was to keep breathing

"Don't you EVER talk about my mother!", he warned.

"What? Is it still a sensitive subject? Have you ever wondered why that happens? You are so scared I can see it in your eyes. You have to get rid of that fear if you want to get somewhere, Anakin", she said, her trembling voice the evidence of her nervousness.

"Why do you care for what happens to me?", he muttered, his anger growing inside him.

Padmé took a deep breath and sighed, her eyes lowering to her trembling hands. "Excuse me", she whispered, walking away from him. Anakin reached for her upper arm and pulled her back to the wall. Padmé gasped and punched his chest. "Let me go!", she protested. Anakin's grip hardened and held her tight against the wall.

"Tell me!", he demanded.

"NO!"

"Tell me!!"

"NO!! Let me go or I'll…"

"You what?". Anakin twisted her arm without knowing what he was doing. In that moment she was just another person bothering him, and he was tired of being bothered.

"You are hurting me!", she cried out. When Anakin saw the fear in her eyes he realized that he had gone too far. He immediately released her and stepped back, his eyes fixed on his hands as if they were possessed by some evil force.

Padmé breathed deeply and watched as his chin started to tremble. His eyes met hers and she noted how they became innocent once again, full of regret. Padmé looked around to see if the janitor was still in the auditorium. Realizing he was long gone, she stepped towards him and tilted her head in confusion.

"Anakin?", she asked softly. When seeing he didn't react, she reached for his cheek with her hand, but he backed away. Padmé stepped closer and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. Anakin returned the embrace and buried his face between her neck and shoulder.

"I'm so sorry… Please… I'm so sorry…", he whispered in a shaky voice Padmé didn't recognize. "Sometimes I forget myself and do the stupidest things… I'm so sorry", he gasped. Padmé's hands threaded through his hair soothingly, letting him know that she was fine. The gesture only encouraged him to tighten his arms around her small frame protectively.

"It's okay… I have hormones too, you know?", she whispered back. Anakin smiled at her comment, his breathing turning into long, deep intakes of air, trying to steady his body. For the first time Padmé acknowledged his trembling, the realization shocking her. This was Anakin! The strong, proud, funny, always-willing-to-embarrass-her Anakin. She knew the man she held was different from the one she had met days ago. Something was wrong with him.

"Are you all right, Anakin?", she asked carefully. Anakin hesitated for a moment and shook his head. Padmé pulled back, enough to look at him, and cupped his face. "You are shaking", she stated the obvious. What did she expect? He had fallen to a fountain on a cold morning, the least he could do was tremble. Padmé realized that she had had a lot to do with his state and felt guilty. "What can I do for you?"

Anakin closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Nothing, I'm just a little cold, that's all", he muttered shyly, his jaw clenching in embarrassment. His eyes still closed, he felt how her arms enveloped him in a friendly embrace. He sighed in relief and held her closely, the new feeling exploring him making him forget about everything that had happened. "It has been so long since someone held me…", he confessed. 

Padmé smiled gently against his cloak and played with the short hair at the base of his neck. "Why?", she asked curiously.

"Guys don't hold each other, at least not the ones I know…", he paused at her muffled giggle, "and I haven't seen my mother in years", he explained, a nostalgic smile creeping to his face.

"What about women? No girlfriends?", Padmé asked, trying to hide her intentions. Anakin chuckled and sighed.

"Nah, no girlfriends. I guess I'm too concentrated on my training to think about girls". Padmé's body stiffened at this last statement. Mentally cursing himself, Anakin cleared his throat and made an effort to rephrase his words. "Unless, um, the girl reminds me of my mother…", he paused when he realized what he had just said. "I mean… if the girl's personality is like…"

"I know what you mean", Padmé said, laughing at his words. Anakin smiled, relieved that she didn't think he was into incest.

"Good", he chuckled. He pulled away to look into her eyes. "Anyway, what are you doing in the Academy?", he asked. Padmé looked down and closed her eyes.

"Damn, I forgot…", she whispered to herself. Anakin smiled.

"You forgot?", he said. Padmé looked up and Anakin frowned at the sadness in her eyes.

"I'm leaving Courasant tonight", she answered. The confusion imprinted on his face told its own story. 

"Why?"

"My mother called me. She wants me back tomorrow morning, ready to assist my cousin's wedding", she said, the annoyance in her voice obvious to Anakin's ears. 

"Do you have to go?". His eyes were as soft as a child's. Padmé's toes curled at the look he gave her.

"Yes, I have to. I'm a bridesmaid…", she paused when a little detail crossed her head, "I have to tell Caleb, he's supposed to be there with me!"

"So both of your are leaving…". Padmé nodded. "Oh"

"But Caleb will be back…", Padmé mentioned. Anakin forced a smile and nodded.

"I know", he paused and trailed his hand through his hair, "it's just that…"

"What?", Padmé asked, dying to hear the rest of the sentence.

"Well, I'm just really going to miss y… him… he's my best… you know", he explained with difficulty. Padmé sighed in disappointment.

"Yes, I know. I guess I better go find Caleb…"

"Yes, that would be… yeah" 

"Bye, Anakin"

"Bye Padmé"

And she was gone.

***

After telling Caleb the news and making sure he had packed his bags, Padmé walked back to the hotel. Since it was her last day in the city she wanted to take everything in. Halfway to the hotel she realized that there was nothing besides concrete and metal. She missed Naboo terribly and she couldn't wait to be there. 

But there was still a part of her that would miss Courasant. Well, not exactly Courasant…

What was it with her and Anakin? At first they hated each other, but then they discovered that they felt more than they both thought. When they hugged she felt something new, something that had never been there when she was around him. Instinctively she touched her clothes as if she could feel Anakin's presence there, but all she felt was damp fabric. She smiled when she remembered how water dripped from Anakin's cloak after he fell to the fountain in the gardens. She remembered how strange it felt to hug a soaked man, and she also remembered how she didn't care at all.

Her happy memories materialized in a confused frown on her face. Anakin felt something for her, she read it in his eyes, and yet he didn't say anything when he learned that Padmé was leaving. He just showed sadness at Caleb's departure, but nothing for her. She knew he felt something! It was so obvious! Why did he hold back?

//He played with my feelings when he acted as if he was going to kiss me. Well, I played with his feelings, too. I denied I wanted to kiss him but at least I admitted in my own way that I like him. He never even hinted he felt something, but I know he does!! What kind of a man is he? Isn't he supposed to be the one to show his feelings in order to get me interested?//

Padmé decided then and there that she wanted nothing to do with Anakin. If he didn't make any sacrifices then neither would she. Padmé never imagined how far her childish attitude would take her… and Anakin.


	8. They realized all the wrong things

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews. You are encouraging me to continue writing this story. I have to remind you that this isn't the typical "I love you/I love you too/let's get married and invite Yoda to the ceremony" story. I'm trying to work more on the characters than the plot, but don't worry, you can expect some VERY interesting twists…

Enjoy.

*******************************************************************************************************

"Are you sure you don't want to come? I could use having a friend around…", Caleb asked for the fifth time. Anakin smiled and shook his head.

"No, just go and have fun", he said. Caleb arched a skeptical brow and Anakin laughed. "Seriously! Go, I'll be fine", he insisted, hoping to sound truthful. Caleb shrugged and grabbed his bag.

"Okay", he sighed. "I give up. I'll be back on Friday. If you need anything…"

"I have your comm. link code, don't worry!", Anakin interrupted. He rolled his eyes and playfully pushed his roommate to the hall. "Go, or you will miss the transport". Caleb laughed good-naturedly and fixed his robe.

"Take care, Anakin", he said as he extended his arm. Anakin shook it and tapped his shoulder.

"You too. Give my best to your family". Caleb turned his head and looked at the stairs. He smiled and gave a short nod.

"Do it yourself. Here comes Padmé".

Anakin's heart skipped a beat. Slowly, his eyes followed to where Caleb was pointing. There, eating up the distance, Padmé's legs moved towards them. Anakin couldn't help to notice her lovely green dress, specially with that cleavage! He forced his eyes back to Caleb and kept a straight face, showing no emotion at the sight of Padmé. 

She didn't show anything either. Her eyes fixed on her brother once she was standing next to him.

"Caleb, are you ready?", she asked all seriousness. Caleb nodded and gave Anakin a quick hug. "Good. Let's go". She was turning to leave when she was dragged backwards by an insistent arm.

"Hey, aren't you going to say good bye to Anakin? You might never see him again", Caleb mentioned, his last sentence cutting through Padmé's defenses. 

Never see him again. Anakin's eyes drifted to the floor at that outcome. Before he could give it another thought he felt Padmé coming closer to him, stopping in front of him. His eyes raised from the floor to lock on Padmé's. They were dark and hard, obviously in response to being forced to say good bye to him.

"Good bye, Anakin. It was a pleasure to meet you", she said, her voice lacking of emotion. Anakin nodded and reached for her hand. A little gasp escaped her lips at his touch, somewhat confusing Anakin.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, too. I…"

"Yes, yes", she interrupted, pulling her hand out of his grip and picking her bags from the floor. "Now we have to go. Hurry up, Caleb, we're running late"

"Okay, okay. Bye, Skywalker. See you on Friday!", Caleb smiled enthusiastically. As soon as he turned, Anakin locked himself in his room to avoid the sight of *her* for longer than necessary.

Once in the safety of his chambers, he lied on his bed and released a deep sigh. What was it with Padmé? He really liked her and thought she felt the same for him, at least that was what she had showed on their last meeting in the auditorium. But he hadn't showed anything, at least not enough to let her know that he cared about her.

//Maybe I messed up//, he thought regretfully. He sighed once again and turned to his side, staring out the window for some distraction. All he found there were space shuttles and transports, creating a massive amount of traffic.

He wondered what Naboo looked like. He had heard his meditation teacher, Obi Wan Kenobi, talking about the planet and its fantastic landscapes. Naboo was supposed to have the greatest variety of wildlife in the galaxy, and Anakin could only imagine how different form Tatooine it had to be. In his mind he pictured Padmé laughing and running across an endless green meadow…

"Stop it!", he spat at himself, pulling a pillow over his head.

***

Padmé gazed absently at the stars shining behind the glass of her window. She admitted she had been a little too hard on Anakin when they said good bye. 

//He deserves it…//, she thought bitterly. Her teeth found her bottom lip and scraped it, then chewed and bit it. She winced in pain and released her lip, covering her eyes with her hand. 

Why couldn't she get him off of her mind? She closed her eyes and there he was. Smiling. Making her mad. Falling to the floor in the nightclub. Walking her to the hotel. Offering his jacket. Looking into her eyes. Tightening his arms around her. His lips, just inches from hers. Those eyes… Haunting her. 

He made her uneasy, uncomfortable, awkward. Padmé shifted on her seat and sighed thoughtfully. She really liked him, but did he like her as well? Hours ago she was certain that he did, but after thinking a lot about it, she concluded that maybe he didn't. maybe she was just a distraction to him, someone to spend time with, someone to…

…hold him when he felt lonely. He had trusted her with things that no one knew. Was he using her or he really wanted to share his thoughts with her? 

Frustration assaulted Padmé and didn't leave her during the entire flight.

***

"Okay, Padmé. You won't reject me again...", Caleb ordered as he offered his arm to his sister. Padmé shook her head and giggled. She took her brother's hand and followed him to the dance floor.

"Don't step on my shoes", she warned. Caleb chuckled and guided the dance.

The wedding was beautiful, the food was delicious, the music was fantastic and Padmé had never been so bored in her life. Anakin's memory still lived in her thoughts and it looked like it had no intentions to leave. She imagined how he would've danced if he were at the wedding with her and Caleb. A frown fell to her face. He wouldn't have danced like he did that night in the club with Nad… Nady… that girl, right? Her family would've killed her if they saw them dancing like that. Suddenly Padmé realized that she would've danced with him would he had attended the wedding.

***

Anakin dropped his light-saber on Caleb's chair and collapsed on his bed. He yawned and scratched his stomach lazily. He was bored beyond his wits. Caleb wouldn't be back until two days and his other friends were visiting their families. The only familiar face he saw on the Jedi Academy was Kody, and there was no way in the seven sith hells he was going to talk to him. Not after he had abandoned Padmé on the club and left with Nad… Nadye… the other girl.

Padmé again. It was always about her. During his time alone Anakin had the time to do some thinking, and he had come to the realization that Padmé was a spoiled brat. She always wanted things be done her way, always getting her way, always doing whatever she wanted. 

She had used him. To make fun of him, to entertain herself, to keep her busy. He was her new toy, and Anakin wasn't going to allow that. He wouldn't be some 'entertainment' to a little arrogant girl. He decided that if he EVER saw her again he wouldn't be as polite as he had been before.

With that in mind he closed his eyes attempting to sleep and secretly hoping he wouldn't dream about her again.

***

Jedi Academy.

Saturday afternoon.

Padmé walked through the Jedi Academy's halls, furious at her brother. While on Naboo he had performed another of his little practical jokes and had caused a lot of damage, more like loss of dignity, to his 'victims'. Padmé's mother couldn't find a better solution than sending Padmé over there to lecture her brother. As if he ever listened to her!

At least she wouldn't see Anakin. Earlier that day she had checked his classes and he would be busy until midnight. A big burden was lifted from her shoulders when she had learned that information. Caleb on the other hand would have only morning classes and would be free for the afternoon.

Padmé arrived to her destination, Caleb's room and took a long steadying breath. She held the knob in her trembling fingers and opened the door. Stepping inside she realized that the room was completely empty. She sighed in relief and closed the door behind her to then sit on Caleb's bed. The sooner she talked to him, the sooner she could leave.

The door to the fresher opened and Padmé gave a little jump.

It was him.


	9. Surrender

A/N: Okay, here's the newest post. I know you will like it because… just read and find out. 

Rating might change to R.

Enjoy!

*******************************************************************************************************

Padmé watched perplexed as Anakin exited the fresher. He only acknowledged her presence when his eyes focused on Caleb's bed. He gasped at the sight of her in his room. Padmé frowned and shifted on the bed. Her arms crossed over her chest and she arched an annoyed brow.

"What are you doing here?", she asked harshly. Anakin frowned and mimicked her gesture.

"I think the proper question here is what are YOU doing here", he shot back, also crossing his arms defiantly. 

"I'm looking for my brother", she paused and stood up, "but since he's not here, I'll look somewhere else". She was walking to the door when she heard Anakin's amused chuckle. Her head turned and fixed on his mocking grin. "What? What now?"

"Nothing… It's just that you act as if you were afraid to be with me… alone", he replied. Her offended intake of air told him plenty. She retraced her steps and sat on the bed, leaning back on her hands and sliding one leg over the other. The corner of her lips lifted in a half smile and she shook her head.

"Contrary to what you assume so matter-of-factly, I have no problem on being alone with you, Padawan", she corrected smoothly. Anakin shrugged and moved over to his desk. He leaned on the edge and smiled.

"Okay"

Padmé rolled her eyes and sighed in surrender. "So what are you doing here, you were supposed to be busy until midnight", she asked, realizing the information she had revealed. Anakin frowned stood to his full height.

"Did you check my schedule?", he asked in disbelief. Padmé looked away. "You did!", he accused. 

"I… I just wanted to make sure you wouldn't be here, okay?", she confessed. Anakin just nodded, the disapproving expression on his face intimidating her. An idea crossed his mind and he shrugged to keep appearances.

"Well, unluckily me and Caleb switched schedules. He then switched with another guy and Force knows when he will be back. Looks like you'll have to put up with me for some time, Padmé".

"Indeed", she whispered.

***

Two hours. Still no sign of Caleb. Padmé checked her watch for the seventh time that afternoon. 10:30 PM. She groaned and lied back on the bed, tired of the awkwardness between her and Anakin. They hadn't exchanged a single word during their entire time together in the room, and frankly, she didn't care. What bothered her were the glances they gave to each other every now and then. Curiously, she spied on him from the corner of her eyes. Quickly her eyes returned to the ceiling.

He was staring.

Anakin sat on the chair next to his desk, his hand dismissively resting over the wooden surface. His fingers started tapping the desk continuously, trying to get to Padmé's nerves. He got the reaction he was expecting when she looked at him with hard eyes.

"Stop that", she demanded. His reply never came and he kept tapping the desk. After a couple of minutes Padmé sat up to make a point. He just smiled evilly and tilted his head. "Stop it!", she insisted, this time louder. Anakin turned to the desk and rested his head on his hand, his other hand insisting on the tapping. Padmé was about to throw a pillow at him when a new holo-message appeared in the answering machine. Caleb's face materialized on a blue hologram. Anakin gave it a quick glance and resumed his tapping.

"Hey, Anakin. Just calling to remind you that I'll be back on Monday. If Padmé goes there tell her that I'll be back on Thursday. You won't believe what I did…"

The message was interrupted when Anakin wove his hand and shut the machine off. He started humming an unknown melody and accompanied the notes with hands tapping the desk as percussion. Padmé watched in shock how he acted as if nothing had happened. She stood up and slowly made her way to the desk. She stood impatiently next to Anakin, whom was now whistling merrily.

"You idiot", she whispered. Anakin looked at her and frowned. "You knew he wasn't coming and didn't tell me. What, you think I'm stupid? You think I wouldn't have realized that he wasn't here?"

Anakin sighed and shrugged. "I don't know… You've been here for two hours and you still thought that he was coming. Does that answer your question?", he crossed his arms over his chest and turned on the chair to face her.

Padmé rolled her eyes and fisted her hands. Anakin watched the action and chuckled. "What? Are you going to hit me?", he joked. When Padmé's hand flew to his face he realized that she had already hit him. Shocked, he grabbed her wrists and stood up, towering over her.

"Oh, so now you are going to hit me…", she said in a hard tone. Anakin pulled her against him and looked into her eyes.

"How dare you imply such a thing?!", he barked. Padmé swallowed hard and stared back at him. "I'm sick and tired of your attitude! You think you can come here and do whatever you want? You just _have_ to show how much you despise me and then contradict yourself by acting differently "

"At least I DO something to show how I feel! All you do is hide, you pretend to feel something when you feel the exact opposite", she shot back. Anakin took a deep breath and leaned closer.

"Are you calling me a liar?", he drawled. Padmé shook her head and tried to get free from his grip on her wrists. He only tightened his fingers around them.

"No, I'm calling you a coward", she whispered harshly. Anakin inhaled and closed his eyes, trying to focus.

"You don't know anything about me. You are just a spoiled daddy's girl that likes to play with other people's feelings", he stated. Padmé's jaw fell in shock, disbelieving he was accusing her of such a thing. "You used me", he added.

"Excuse me?", she asked offended. "You used ME, I was just an entertainment for you, someone you could play with and then use when you were feeling lonely!", the last word came mockingly.

"Ha! I think it's the other way around, Padmé. You use everyone to get your way, even Kody, the stupidest human in the entire galaxy. Hmm, I think they have a name for women who use men, let me see if I recall it…", he implied, his hard expression cutting through her senses.

Padmé managed to free one of her hands and furiously pushed him away. He tripped but managed to stay standing, advancing on her and trapping her in his arms. She looked up at his eyes and slapped him again but he remained motionless in front of her, accepting her fury, his face emotionless. 

Padmé freed her other hand and slapped his other cheek, harder than before. He didn't wince. She tried to break free from his firm hold but his arms were tightly wrapped around her waist. He leaned down and placed a quick kiss on her lips, retreating as soon as he felt the contact. Stunned, Padmé attempted to slap him again but he threw his head back avoiding her hand.

"I hate you!", she cried out in frustration. When Anakin's head fell forward again, he leaned closer and tried to kiss her again, but her head moved out of reach. He pressed her harder against him and managed to brush his lips against hers. He was pulling back when Padmé's hands fisted in his hair and pulled him down again, crushing her lips over his. 

Anakin opened his eyes in surprise, her aggressive response catching him off guard. He dismissed the issue and deepened the kiss, prying her mouth open under his. Padmé moaned and locked her arms around his neck trying to pull him closer. 

Airless, Anakin broke the kiss and buried his face between her neck and shoulder, kissing her with an urgency he had never felt until that moment. Padmé arched her neck to grant him better access and closed her eyes to enjoy the feeling of his lips on her skin. Desperately she tugged at his Jedi robes, diving her hands underneath his gauzy shirt to feel the skin on his back. She never wanted to think again, she just wanted to feel.

Regardless of the consequences.

*******************************************************************************************************

A/N: I know, I know…They are not married or anything but COME ON! They are two teenagers! So I think it's valid for them to sleep together. Maybe they are not in love yet and maybe you are thinking it was a bad idea for them to do 'it' before they felt deeper for each other. I have one word for you: Hormones. Besides, it's necessary for the plot's sake. You'll find out why…

I hope you enjoyed the chapter, I'll try to write the next one soon. Oh my God, what's that little blue box below this lines?? Click to find out, LOL…


	10. The Mistake

A/N: Here's the next post.

Just some quick notes: Wow, talk about some controversy! I never thought the last chapter would have that response. I even got a really creepy e-mail that said I had no morals! It made me laugh my $%& off, but STILL! Come on, people! It's just a story! I'm not telling you what's right and what's wrong, I'm just trying to portray average teenage behavior. 

Thanks to all of you who were open-minded, it's important to have perception.

Anyway, thanks for all the reviews, I really enjoy reading them. I even noticed that you are making me update EVERY single day. The worst part is that I listen to you… :-)

**Sologirl:** Anakin is 19, Padmé is 18. Thanks for your reviews!

**JEAR Potter:** You are right, don't do 'that' until you are older, LOL.

**Korifi:** I'll try to be gentle on them.

Enjoy.

*******************************************************************************************************

Padmé slowly opened her eyes after being asleep for a couple of hours. She stretched her legs and a huge yawn split her face. She was startled when she felt other legs that weren't hers in the bed. Blinking in confusion her eyes adjusting to the darkness, her hand reached out to feel her surroundings. Her palm stopped against a warm wall in front of her. Gasping, she remembered where she was.

And with whom.

"Gods…", she whispered, her eyes closing in realization. She covered her mouth when the figure next to her shifted, muttering in his sleep. His arms tightened around her waist and rolled her over him, sighing when she unconsciously placed her hand over his heart. Padmé had never been more awake in her entire life. She supported herself on her elbows, one on each side of him, and looked down. 

Anakin.

Her eyes focused on his face, the slight brightness of the room helping her to memorize his features. Tentatively, she trailed her fingers through his hair and then stroke his cheek tenderly. Padmé couldn't help to smile at the peaceful expression of his face. He sighed at her touch and leaned into her palm. Her fingers stopped their examination abruptly when he mumbled her name, still deeply asleep.

"Padmé…"

Unable to take her eyes away from him, she swallowed hard and attempted to think. Two minutes later it hit her. This was so wrong! They had acted according to their feelings and didn't think things first. From Padmé's point of view that was the worst way to start a relationship, specially if they didn't know much about each other.

But what if their case was the exception? What if they didn't need to be friends first to eventually start a relationship? Padmé remembered how her friends always said that being good friends first sometimes ruined the relationship because they lived with the fear of losing friendship.

Then again, she didn't know that much about Anakin and he knew nothing about her. Where was this going? Did they have a future together? She lived in Naboo. He lived in Courasant and was from Tatooine. Distance could be a problem, but it was a side issue. What she really wanted to know was how he really felt about her. Sighing, she remembered their first time together.

He had been so caring, so gentle, wanting to make her feel special. He had been sweet yet incredibly passionate, making her feel more alive than she had ever been. She had also felt something deeper, something that went beyond the physical aspect. She had felt him so close to her it frightened her. But what if it was just an illusion, just her way of seeing things? What if she was just another conquest for him? Padmé shook her head at this last 'what if'. She knew it couldn't be true.

This had to stop until they both knew how they really felt about each other. Padmé knew, or at least thought she knew how she felt about him. He intrigued her with his deep silences, his sober attitude, his mischievous smile , his mysterious gaze burning her eyes. There was just something about him that made her want to kick him but at the same time throw her arms around his neck and kiss him.

Her confusion led her to make a drastic decision. Taking one last look at him, she leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. When she pulled back he rubbed his face with the back of his hand as if pushing a small insect away. Padmé smiled sadly and combed his hair with the tip of her fingers, wanting to delay the moment for as long as possible.

Forcing herself out of the bed, she quietly slid into her clothes and tiptoed her way to the door, not without taking one last glance at Anakin. He was lying on his stomach and hugging a pillow against him, mumbling in his sleep and moving his legs. Padmé realized that by hugging the pillow he thought he was holding her. He really cared for her and she knew that he deserved better than this. Quietly, she wrote a message for him and left it on his nightstand. Unable to resist, she sat next to him on the bed and covered him to make sure he wouldn't catch a cold. Her name escaped from his lips in a whisper and once again Padmé stiffened, afraid of waking him.

One last glance at him and she left.

***

Anakin stirred on his bed, the sheets tangling at his feet. He groaned and turned to his back, gently pulling the bundle in his arms to his chest. He tightened his arms around it and pressed a soft kiss on the surface. He frowned when he felt the rough material of the bundle against his lips. Opening his eyes he looked down and saw he was holding a pillow. Sitting up, he looked around in confusion and realized he was alone. He flung his legs to the edge of the bed and stood up, looking at the clock on his nightstand. A slip of paper caught his attention. Picking it up, he blinked several times to focus on the words.

_"I had to go, I'm sorry. I'll come by after your noon classes. Wait for me. Padmé"._

Anakin felt how his muscles tightened suspiciously. The note was cold, impersonal, harsh. Was she trying to send him a message through her few words? Did she regret what had happened between them?

"No!", Anakin denied, shaking his head. She couldn't! Last night had been beautiful, there was no way she could regret it. Why would she? 

Maybe she didn't feel the same way he felt for her. Maybe she wasn't so sure about them. Maybe she thought it was a mistake. Thousands of maybes assaulted Anakin throughout the day. He wasn't able to concentrate on his classes and he failed on his monthly meditation evaluation. His teacher noticed this and called him aside to discuss his lack of concentration.

"Anakin, what's the matter?", Obi Wan asked concerned. Anakin cleared his throat and forced a smile.

"Nothing, Master Obi Wan, I'm fine", he replied smoothly. Obi Wan arched a brow and shook his head.

"You don't think I'm that stupid, do you?". Anakin sighed and lowered his head.

"I'm worried about a friend of mine. She acts as if she hates me but then acts as if she likes me. I feel so lost…"

"Is she your girlfriend?", Obi Wan questioned, amused at Anakin's troubled behavior.

"I don't know…yes, I guess. No", he answered finally.

"Do you like her?"

"Until yesterday I hadn't realized how important she is to me. I don't know, she's a fantastic person, I really, REALLY like her. I don't know what to do! She just came here and turned my whole world upside down! She makes me feel… everything. One minute I hate her and the next I can't breathe without her…", he paused when he saw Obi Wan cringing. Anakin rolled his eyes and shrugged. "I know it sounds corny as hell, but it's the truth".

Obi Wan listened carefully at Anakin's words. He had always go to him for advise but he had never heard him talk about a girl with so much passion and despair. "Anakin, you have to talk to her, that's the only way to know how you two really feel about each other". Anakin sighed and nodded. "Will you be seeing her today?"

"Yes", he whispered. Obi Wan nodded and placed a friendly hand on the Padawan's shoulder.

"Then tell her how you feel. She has to know".

"Yes, Master"

***

Padmé ran as fast as she could through the streets of Courasant. It was almost dark outside and she was hours late from meeting Anakin. She just hoped he was still in his room waiting for her. She caught sight of the Jedi Academy a few blocks away and determinedly made her way there. Every step she took seemed slower and larger than the last one, it was taking her an eternity to get to the front door.

Finally she found herself walking up the stairs of the Academy, her heart pumping furiously from the exertion of running and seeing Anakin again. His doorstep took ages to appear.

A timid knock on his door brought Anakin's attention from his latest project. Swallowing hard, he stood up and walked to the door and opened it revealing the most beautiful brunet he had ever seen. He moved aside to give her enough room to enter. Murmuring a 'thanks', she walked passed him and sat on Caleb's bed. Frowning at her cold attitude, he followed her and sat next to her. He noticed how she stiffened when he placed his arm around her, so he casually laid it on his lap.

"We need to talk", she broke the silence. Anakin just nodded. "You better sit there", she motioned to his bed. Anakin complied and sat on his bed, facing her. Padmé sighed and looked at him. "It was a mistake".

Anakin frowned and gasped in deep surprise. Before he could utter a reply she raised her hand indicating for him to remain silent. 

"We weren't thinking, I don't know how you feel about me and I don't know how I really feel about you", she paused when she saw the stunned expression on his face. "Maybe we should stop seeing each other until we know what we feel".

"I know how I feel", he replied. Padmé sighed helplessly and fixed her eyes on the floor. Realizing she wouldn't meet his eyes, Anakin continued. "I really care for you, Padmé. I like you a lot. I don't want this to end here".

"You know nothing about me", she cut in, meeting his eyes. Anakin knelt in front of her and covered her hands with his.

"I know who you are. You pretend to be a tough girl that cares nothing about the people around her, but deep inside you care. I first saw it when you took care of Caleb that night when we first went out. You did everything you could to take good care of him. I also saw it when you held me that day in the auditorium", he smiled at the memory and cupped her cheek. "You knew I needed affection and you gave it to me without hesitation. You are here now to make sure I knew how you felt about last night. That tells me that you are a fair person".

Padmé just sat there and listened to him, her face emotionless. Reaching up, she cupped his face and entertained one of her hands on his hair, the other sliding to his cheek while she decided what to do. Just like he had done that morning, he leaned into the palm on his cheek and closed his eyes. Her heart skipped a beat when he kissed the inside of her wrist with gentle lips. He opened his eyes and locked gazes with her, moving up to kiss her.

Padmé closed her eyes and surrendered to the gentle pressure of his mouth on hers. Her arms slid around his neck to keep him close, her lips responding to his kiss. When he wrapped his arms around her waist, she pulled back and pushed him away. Anakin fell on his haunches and watched startled as Padmé stood up and covered her face with her hands.

"NO! we can't do this, we can't!", she cried out, trying to convince herself more than Anakin.

"Why?", he demanded, standing up as well. Padmé turned to the door but Anakin caught her before she could take another step. "Answer me! I deserve an explanation!"

"Because I don't know how I feel about you, okay?", she confessed. "Last night was a mistake, I admit it. You don't have to remind me!"

"You think you have the right to come here and make me miserable?!", he asked, grabbing both her upper arms. 

"Anakin, I…", she sighed and looked down. "Just… give some time, okay?", she pleaded, trying to make him understand. "I will respect your feelings as long as you respect mine. Please, I need to sort this out by myself, I can't do it if you are with me"

"Why not?", he whispered. Padmé looked up and met his eyes.

"Because I can't think clearly when you are with me", she whispered back. Anakin smiled softly and played with a lock of her hair. Padmé smiled back and touched his cheek, her other hand bringing his head down. As they kissed Anakin cupped her face tenderly, letting her know he cared about her more than she knew. Scared of the emotions she was getting from him, she broke the kiss and stepped out of his arms. 

"Don't call me, I'll call you the day after tomorrow", she said. Anakin just nodded and scratched the back of his head. "Good bye"

"Bye", he whispered. She opened the door and disappeared in the hall.

Why couldn't she just give into her feelings just like he had? Was it so hard?

//Give her time…//

*******************************************************************************************************

A/N: I know, Padmé is a very complicated girl. But she's a good girl!


	11. Emergency call

A/N: Wow! Thanks for the reviews, you are all great! Thanks for following the story and appreciating the plot. Also I'd like to point out that you are all very understanding about the mistakes the characters make, that tells me how good you really are! 

As for those of you who don't like the story… I don't care if you flame me, but if you are going to do that at least do it with some class. Flames with no arguments to back up the opinions are very rude… Don't you have any manners? LOL.

Wow, always a statement to be made! Me and my big mouth…

And don't worry, more stories and updates will come. Writing helps me improve my English (Spanish is my mother language) and it always a good excuse to let my imagination fly.

Enjoy!

*******************************************************************************************************

Padmé's comm. link beeped insistently at her waist. Checking the numbers displayed on the screen she recognized Anakin's code. Sighing, she answered the call. Not in her saddest dreams she could've imagined the expression on his face. The blue hologram projected in front of her eyes blinked because of the bad connection, but that couldn't interfere with her noticing Anakin's swollen eyes.

"Can I meet you there… Please?", he asked, his voice shaky and cracky with emotion. Padmé nodded without even thinking about it.

"Yes, of course. What…?"

"Thank you", he interrupted before he cut off. Puzzled, Padmé stood up and left her datapad on the table facing her. She walked in circles around her room wondering what happened to Anakin.

***

30 minutes later she heard the buzz of the door. Rushing to the entrance of her hotel room, she opened the door expectant to find her visitor. Standing in front of her was a weak Anakin, his head bent down hopelessly. Padmé reached for his hand and pulled him inside, closing the door behind him. Facing each other, he finally lifted his head and met her expectant gaze. His cheeks were red and wet, tears drying on his skin. His eyes were red and still swollen, pleading for comfort. But behind the weakness she noticed a sort of… darkness.

"I… I know you said you were going to call me tomorrow, but…", he whispered. Padmé shook her head and shushed him, pulling him into her comforting embrace. Anakin sighed and hid his face on her neck, sobbing helplessly. Padmé rubbed his back soothingly, whispering comforting words into his shoulder.

Anakin took one steadying breath and pulled back, cleaning his face with his sleeve. Padmé raised on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek, only pulling back to guide him into the living room. They sat on the large couch where she held his hands, encouraging him to talk.

"What happened, Anakin?", she asked gently, not wanting him to feel pressured. 

"The dean called me to his office today", he started, fixing his eyes on the rug. "He said it was a family emergency".

Padmé gasped. Something had happened to his mother.

"My mother…", he continued, "is very, very ill. There's no one to help her in Tatooine, I'm all she's got. The dean said that I couldn't go there because I have to finish this semester. If I don't go there to help her she will…"

"Shh", she soothed, her hand moving to the back of his neck. "Does my brother know this?", she asked. Anakin shrugged.

"Caleb won't be here until Monday and he's the only one who can help me", he said. Padmé frowned and shook her head.

"Ani, I'm here, too", she reminded with a smile. Ani. She had called him Ani. She remembered how he had reacted when she first called him that. This time, it was different. He looked at her and collapsed on her arms, holding on to her for dear life. The impulse of his embrace pushed Padmé to her back, extracting a gasp from her. Taken aback, she wrapped her arms around him and held his face against her neck, whispering her support into his hair.

"Ani…", she whispered brokenly, disbelieving she could call him by his childhood name. Anakin tightened his arms around her and pressed his face between her neck and shoulder, taking sharp intakes of air to fill his lungs. Her fingers tangled in his hair while her other hand ran absently up and down his back, her mind racing to find a way to help Anakin. His easy breathing on her neck kept her from thinking straight, as it always happened when she was with him.

"Thank you, Padmé", his hushed voice murmured. Padmé looked down and smiled at the sight of him staring back into her eyes. She cupped his face and pulled him closer to kiss his forehead. Anakin closed his eyes and sighed. Padmé urged his head back to her collarbone and kissed his temple.

"Try to get some rest. We will help your mother, I promise you", she said reassuringly.

Anakin didn't know what was happening. Maybe it was the warmth of her skin, the sound of her voice or her heart beating under his ear, but he felt how he fell into a deep sleep in her arms. It took him only a couple of minutes to give into his exhaustion.

And there, on the couch and with her arms around him, he fell asleep.

Padmé was beyond confusion. She felt very attracted to him but she knew there was more than that in her head. Not under any circumstances she would've allowed the other night to happen, and that meant that she felt deeper for him than she ever thought possible. She recalled the conversation they had had in his room the previous day.

_"I need to sort this out by myself, I can't do it if you are with me"_

_"Why not?"_

_"Because I can't think clearly when you are with me"_

The last thought rang a bell in her head. It was happening again. He was confusing her with his presence. He was keeping her from thinking clearly.

//Why are you blaming him for your confusion?//, she asked herself. This wasn't Anakin's fault, it was hers. She needed to think things through to avoid hurting him. //But you've already hurt him enough//, she reminded herself. She disliked this last thought. She didn't want to hurt him ever again, he didn't deserve it. She said she was going to respect his feelings, but was she? He had respected hers, something she wasn't doing. //Why am I ignoring my feelings?//, she asked herself for the hundredth time. She wasn't keeping in mind how _she_ felt. How was she supposed to get somewhere with that attitude?

She was afraid. Afraid that he might hurt her if things didn't work out between them. Maybe he wouldn't, but was it worth to take the chance? Looking down, she saw the peaceful expression on his face, his arms holding on to her. She remembered the other night when he had held her and how safe she felt in his arms. Now the tables were turned and he was seeking protection and safety in her arms. Padmé accepted the change of events happily, glad that she could make him feel what she had felt the other night.

He was worth the try. She knew it, somehow she knew it in her heart. Trying not to disturb his peaceful slumber, she reached for the blanket on the back of the couch and pulled it down, covering him as much as she could. He sighed against her collarbone and snuggled in her arms making himself comfortable. Padmé smiled and shaped his skull with her hands, her fingers getting lost in his hair. How she loved to touch his hair. She did it tenderly, gently, as a way of showing how much she cared for him.

Out of nowhere the conversation they had had in his room the other night came to her mind.

"At least I DO something to show how I feel! All you do is hide, you pretend to feel something when you feel the exact opposite"

She had said that with a conviction beyond her actions. It was exactly the other way around. She was the one pretending, she was the one faking, she was the one hiding now. As her fingers tangled in his hair she analyzed how he made her feel.

He was always on her mind. She had lost her appetite since she met him. He always appeared in her dreams. Whenever she knew she was going to see him she put extra care in her appearance. She was always thinking of different excuses to see him. She didn't sleep well anymore, only in his arms did she get some rest after nights of laying awake on her bed.

She liked him. She cared for him. He had affected her more than any man before him. And he deserved to know.

Anakin stirred on his sleep and fisted his hand in a lock of Padmé's hair. Padmé kissed the top of his head and decided to wait until morning before she told him. Stretching her arm she reached for the datapad on the table and carefully placed on Anakin's back. Searching through the holonet she entered the Jedi Academy files and looked for Anakin's name. She read his file containing his personal information and smiled proudly. Instantly she wrote a message to Jalek, her older brother.

Jalek: I need a huge favor. The mother of a great friend of mine is really sick and there's no one to help her. She lives in Mos Espa, a small city in Tatooine, a planet in the Outer Rim and her name is Shmi Skywalker. Since you are a doctor I was thinking that maybe you could help her. Please, Jalek, I need you to help her. Thank you. Padmé.

When she sent the message she sighed in frustration. All she had to do now was wait. As if sensing her impatience, Jalek replied instantly. Padmé gave a little jump when she saw the small window blinking.

Of course I'll help her. I'll take the first shuttle first thing in the morning. Why do I get the impression that this is a male friend…?

Padmé groaned and rolled her eyes. She typed her reply.

Shut up!

I knew it!, came the amused reply. Padmé shook her head and giggled, replacing the datapad on the table. For now, she would enjoy being so close to Anakin.


	12. Tataaaaaaaaaaaan

Anakin stirred, still sleepy and tired from the emotional exhaustion of the night before. He slowly opened his eyes and looked around trying to figure where he was. An insistent but gentle hand pushed his head down to where it had been. Startled, Anakin looked up and met a couple of brown eyes staring sleepily back at him. Gasping, he supported himself in his hands trying to relieve her of his weight. Padmé giggled weakly and grabbed the collar of his shirt, pulling him down. Anakin willingly returned to her arms and placed his head next to hers as she followed his eyes. Turning her face to his, she smiled and traced his jaw with her finger.

"Morning", his husky voice whispered.

"Good morning. Did you sleep well?", she asked. Anakin smiled and looked into her eyes. "I'm happy to hear so".

Suddenly Anakin remembered what had brought him to her hotel room in the first place. His eyes widened and he immediately sat up. "I have to go, I must help my mother!", he blurted out. Padmé sat up as well and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Anakin, I sent my older brother to help her. He is a is a doctor and he must be on his way to Tatooine right now", she soothed. Anakin listened to her words in complete silence. "Ani?", she asked as her fingers played with the hair at the side of his head.

"I'm speechless", he whispered. Padmé smiled and nodded.

"I can see that". As he remained silent, Padmé reached for her comm link and dyled her brother's code, just to let Anakin know that his mother would be taken care of. A few seconds later the blue hologram projected Padmé's brother.

"Good morning, Jalek", she greeted. Jalek frowned and chuckled.

"'Good morning?' It's almost lunch time, Padmé...", he corrected. Padmé giggled and shrugged.

"Well, I guess I lost track of time... So, are you on your way to Tatooine?", she asked impatiently. Jalek arched a brow.

"Um, I'm already here. I'm literally in Mrs. Skywalker's room..."

Anakin felt how the air caught in his throat. His mother was there with Padmé's brother, right next to him and probably listening to their conversation.

"Mom?", he asked in disbelief.

"You must be Anakin...", Jalek acknowledged trying to keep a straight face. Anakin and Padmé blushed furiously and looked away. Jalek laughed and shook his head. "I was right, he was a male friend..."

"Jalek!", Padmé warned. Anakin couldn't help to smile, amused by Padmé's embarrassment.

"Fine, fine. Anakin, your mother is fine now. I gave her a shot with antibiotics to keep her strong, but she will be perfect in a couple of days. She keeps talking about you! Not even the shot kept her quiet!"

"It must ran in the family", Padmé whispered slyly to Anakin. His offended look brought a smile to her lips. "Would you like to talk to her?", she asked trying to make amends. Anakin's face brightened and he nodded insistently. "Okay, I'll leave you alone so that..."

"No, stay here", he interrupted, lacing her fingers in his. "I want you to meet her". Padmé's heart melted at his request and all she could do was smile.

"Ani?", the voice called. Anakin gasped when he saw his mother in the hologram. Shmi noticed the emotion in his eyes and smiled knowingly. "How are you, son?"

"I'm so happy that you are well again, mom. I thought..."

"Now, now...", Shmi interrupted. She didn't want Anakin to worry about her. "Ani, I thought I had taught you some manners...", she said, her head nodding towards Padmé. Anakin frowned but quickly realized what his mother meant.

"Of course, how rude of me. Mom, this is Padmé. Padmé, this is my mother", he introduced. Padmé smiled nervously, minding of making a good impression.

"Hello, it's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Skywalker", she said earnestly. /So this is Anakin's mother.../. Shmi smiled kindly at her and made a short bow with her head.

"The pleasure is all mine, Padmé. Thank you for sending your brother all the way here to examine me, I really appreciate it".

"Oh, please. It was the least I could do for you", she commented, trying her best to sound humble. Shmi smiled and raised her brows.

"Well, it speaks very well of you... and how much you care for Anakin. It's good to know that he has someone he can rely on"

"Mom...", Anakin whispered annoyingly. Padmé giggled and hooked her arm in his. Anakin swallowed hard and smiled nervously. "Um, so how have you been, mom?", he asked.

"I'm perfectly fine, Ani. You needn't have to worry. Oh, I gotta go, the doctor here says that I should get some rest..."

"Can't you stay a little longer?", Anakin interrupted. Shmi gave him a half smile and raised her brows.

"I think you are in good company. I must rest now. I love you, Ani"

"I love you, too, mom"

"Take good care of him, Padmé", Shmi pleaded. Padmé nodded fervently and smiled at Anakin. "Good. I think Jalek wants to give Anakin some indications. He will call you to your comm link, Ani", she instructed. Anakin nodded and smiled widely at his mother. Waving good-bye she disappeared, as did the hologram. As soon as the communications were off, Anakin turned to Padmé and locked gazes with her.

"I don't know what to say", he whispered. Padmé traced his features with her eyes and remained serious. Anakin held her hand and entwined his fingers with hers, bringing it close to his lips and kissing it. "Thank you, Padmé. I will never forget this".

Padmé smiled and released her hand from his grip. She stood up and kissed his forehead. "You are welcome". Looking down, she fought the urge to kiss him. /No, no! First tell him how you really feel, first let him know, first... first... take a shower! Yes! That's it!/ That was the only way she would be able to distract herself. And besides, she wanted to be presentable when she first told him how she felt.

"Are you going somewhere?", he asked confused. Padmé nodded and walked away from him. "Do you want me to go? I don't want to disturb you…", he asked. She shook her head and smiled.

"Just stay there. I'll take a shower and then make us something to eat while _you_ take your shower".

"Okay. But what about the Academy? I'm supposed to be there in an hour", he reminded. Padmé shrugged mysteriously and smiled knowingly. "What? Please tell me, I don't know if I can handle any more surprises", he complained.

"Anakin, today is Courasant's Urbanization Day Anniversary, even the Jedi Academy considers it a holiday...", she reminded. Anakin blinked a couple of times and sat back.

"Oh..."

" 'Oh' ", she mimicked, shaking her head at his bad memory. She entered the fresher and locked herself in. Right after the door clicked, Anakin's comm link beeped. He answered it and Padmé's brother appeared.

"Hi, Jalek. Listen, I wanted to..."

"No, you listen!", he interrupted. Anakin frowned in confusion and tilted his head. "If you EVER hurt her, if you EVER make her cry, if I EVER hear that you caused her pain, I swear to God I will take your heart out of your chest with a spoon!", Jalek warned. Anakin swallowed hard and opened his eyes widely. "UNDERSTOOD?".

Anakin nodded, too afraid to talk.

"Good...", Jalek continued. He smiled congenially at Anakin, as if nothing had happened. "Your mother will be fine, you don't have to worry about her. Take care, Anakin. Good bye!"

One hour later, Padmé was ready and preparing lunch while Anakin showered. She set the small counter table as nicely as she could, putting flowers in a vase on the center, the plates facing each other and the napkins neatly folded over them. Her head shot back when she heard the door to the fresher opening. Anakin walked into the living room rubbing a towel against his wet hair.

"I used the extra brush from the hotel, I hope you don't..."

He gaped at the small but carefully fixed table in the kitchen, his eyes moving to Padmé, who was standing next to it with a huge smile plastered in her face. Confused, Anakin walked towards her and shook his head, his eyes fixed on the counter.

"Padmé, you didn't have to..."

"I wanted to", she interrupted. Anakin's eyes flew back to hers. His face was priceless.

"I... I don't understand", he confessed. Padmé urged him to sit on the high chair next to the table so that they were at the same level.

"There's nothing to understand", she whispered. Anakin sighed and nodded.

"Yes, there is. First you ask me to give you time and then you...", he paused as he searched for a better choice of words. "Look, Padmé, I'm more than happy to be here with you, but I don't want to you to feel pressured. I don't want to confuse you".

Padmé took a step closer to him and slid her arms around his neck. "I'm not confused anymore, Anakin. I know how I feel about you, I've always known, but I was afraid to admit it to myself". She explained. "The other night, in your room... I...", she paused and took a deep breath. "I realized how much you meant to me. I don't want to be away from you ever again". Anakin smiled both in happiness and disbelief, his hands seizing her waist.

"You mean..."

"Yes", she nodded, relief displayed in her eyes. Anakin laughed nervously as his hand moved up to timidly cup her face, his thumb brushing her cheekbone. Padmé closed her eyes at the tender gesture and sighed, trying to convince herself that this wasn't a dream.

Anakin leaned closer and kissed her cheeks, then her chin, the tip of her nose, her brow, her temple, her closed eyelids and her cheeks once again. Padmé giggled and opened her eyes.

"That tickles", she complained playfully. Anakin shrugged and shook his head.

"You better get used to it 'cause I plan to do it a lot". Padmé smiled and cupped his face, urging him closer. Slowly, their lips met and parted again and again, prolonging the moment for as long as possible. Anakin's hands moved down her back and locked around her waist, clutching her closer to feel her warmth. Padmé sighed against his mouth and fisted her hands in his hair as she always did when she was close to him. Her action only encouraged him to deepen the kiss, pressing her tighter to him. Padmé felt how small butterflies fluttered in her stomach at the closeness she felt and wondered if Anakin felt something similar.

Forcing herself to stop the kiss Padmé pulled away and slowly opened her eyes. The first thing she saw were two pools of blue staring solemnly back at her. Leaning closer she kissed the corner of his mouth and impulsively wrapped her arms around his neck, holding onto him. Anakin trailed his hands up and down her back soothingly, smiling at the memory of her doing the same to him the previous night.

He closed his eyes when he felt her kissing his robed shoulders ever so softly, putting all the care she could in the task.

"Ani...", she said, her voice muffled against his shoulder. Anakin tightened his hold on her and then softened it, the sound of his childhood name in her voice swelling his heart.

"Never let me ignore my feelings again... especially if they are towards you"

Anakin pulled back from her fierce embrace and made sure she was looking at him. "I won't", he promised, "Sometimes we have to solve things by ourselves, but we also need a helping hand every once in a while. Any problem we have we will sort it out, if we both want to, together...".

Padmé smiled and kissed him again. Before he could get carried away she broke the kiss and sat on the other chair across from him. "Eat, Ani", she said as she placed a bowl with food in front of him. Anakin grabbed a fork and shook his head while she looked down.

/Five minutes together and she's already bossing me around/, Anakin thought. He smiled to himself.

And he sure liked it.


	13. The Calm Before the Storm

Two weeks later...

"Where am I supposed to put this?", Anakin asked puzzled as he examined the strange utensil in his hand. Padmé's head peeked from behind a door and smiled.

"I don't know, just leave it on the counter and they'll take it in the morning", she answered. Anakin shrugged and complied to then sit on the high chair next to the counter. Leaning his elbows on the surface he continued studying for his exam. He felt protecting arms surrounding his waist and smiled knowingly. Padmé pressed a kiss behind his neck and sighed.

"Finished yet?", she asked impatiently. Anakin just chuckled. Padmé rolled her eyes and leaned the side of her head on his back. "Come on, Ani! You've been studying all day, you promised to take me out for a walk", she complained. Anakin turned and spied her from the corner of his eye.

"Just one more paragraph and I'm done"

"One paragraph? I'm still locked in this hotel room for 'one' paragraph?", she questioned in disbelief. Anakin fixed his eyes on the datapad and raised his hand.

"Just wait...wait...". Five seconds later, he tapped the counter and turned around to look at one smiling Padmé. "I'm done", he announced. Padmé wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned closer.

"Good", she whispered against his lips. Anakin locked his arms around her waist and brushed her lips with his. Padmé smiled again and pulled him closer for a hug. "Can we go now?", she insisted against his shoulder.

"Yes, we can go now", Anakin confirmed. "But first we have to stop at the Academy so I can leave my datapad there and then… I'll take you somewhere", he added mysteriously. Curiously, Padmé pulled back and frowned.

"Where?", she asked. Anakin laughed and kissed the tip of her nose.

"You'll see".

"Anakiiiiiiiiiiin...", came the whine. Padmé lay sprawled on the floor in Anakin's room, bored out of her wits. They had arrived two hours earlier and he had decided that he had to re-read his files in order to be well prepared for his exam. She was two seconds away from falling asleep or dying of a useless brain.

Meanwhile Anakin paced around the room repeating what he read on the datapad out loud. He said it helped him to memorize the subjects with ease. Whenever it appeared he would bump into Padmé he would levitate over her and continue walking. Padmé lost count of many times this happened.

He was levitating over her again when she grabbed his leg and pulled him to the floor with her. Anakin gasped in surprise and fell on his back, wincing in pain. Quickly, Padmé sat on his stomach and held his hands above his head with her own.

"If I hear one more thing about Jedi General History, I swear to the Gods, Anakin...", she warned, shaking her head to make herself clear. Ever so slowly a half smile formed in his face, only causing her anger to grow. "Oh, I see you find this VERY amusing. We'll see if you find it amusing when I..."

Before she could finish, Anakin had freed his hands and started tickling her on the ribs. Padmé giggled uncontrollably and fell to the floor as Anakin rolled over her. He continued his tickling and looked down at her.

"What? What are you going to do?", he challenged, his playful-mischievous smile decorating his mouth. Padmé continued laughing and begged for mercy, but Anakin was restless on his goal of tearing her to pieces. His face lowered to her neck and he blew raspberries against her skin, his fingers still teasing her ribs. Padmé's roars of laughter echoed around the room, bringing the attention of the people circulating in the hallway.

"Please! Ani, stop!", she managed to say. "Okay, okay... I give, I give!", she pleaded. Anakin kissed her neck and looked down at her, smiling at her exhausted face. She took deep breaths to stabilize her breathing but giggled when she saw him above her.

"I hope you have learned your lesson", he said mockingly. Padmé rolled her eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Hmm, I don't know", she whispered.

"Well, let me teach you then", he whispered back. Padmé closed her eyes expecting to receive a kiss. "The Jedi order is 2000 years old and it follows the teachings of the Force. The greatest Jedi master that has ever lived is Yoda, member of the Jedi Council along with 11 other Masters..."

Padmé opened her eyes in shock and pushed him to his back. "I said I didn't want to hear about Jedi General History!", she reminded, her face flushed with annoyance. Anakin chuckled and rolled her over again.

"Okay, fine... Enough study for today". Padmé smiled brightly and pulled his head down.

"I agree". Anakin lowered his lips to hers and kissed her. Padmé sighed and clutched his shoulders, glad that she took precedence over his stupid datapad. Anakin's hands lowered to her waist where he held her firmly. The door to the room opened and Padmé found herself kissing the air.

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY SISTER!", Caleb yelled. Anakin's face turned white and he stood up as quickly as he could, stepping back from the line of fire.

"I... I wasn't to...touching her, I...I swear!", he stuttered. Padmé looked at him and arched a brow. She stood up and as soon as she was on her feet Anakin hid behind her so Caleb wouldn't hurt him.

"I SAW YOU!", he barked. Padmé rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to speak. "You better stay quiet, young lady!", he warned.

"What?", she asked in disbelief.

"You have no say in this, you are just a little girl!", he insisted.

"Little girl? Caleb, I'm eleven months younger than you…", she reminded with a smile. Caleb rolled his eyes and shrugged.

"Fine, whatever...Just...I'm...ARGH! Never mind! Could someone PLEASE explain what's going on here?", he said returning to the main subject. Padmé grasped the hand Anakin had on her shoulder and entwined her fingers with his. Caleb watched awestruck at their joined hands, his blood boiling in his veins.

"Anakin and I are dating", she stated. Caleb looked at Anakin in disbelief. He swallowed hard and nodded, standing next to Padmé and putting his free arm around her.

"Wha...Ho... For how long?", Caleb asked, clearly confused.

"For two weeks", Anakin answered. Caleb gasped and leaned on a chair. He brought his hand to his chest and tried to calm his breathing. "Is he okay?", Anakin whispered to Padmé. She rolled her eyes knowingly and shook her head.

"All right, stop the drama, Caleb. Didn't you find a little bit suspicious that after two weeks I was still in Courasant?", she asked. Caleb wove his hands in the air and shrugged, his mouth moving but no words coming out. "Oh, come on! You can't be THAT stupid!"

"I was distracted, okay?", he replied in his defense. Padmé giggled and turned to hold Anakin. She tucked her head under his chin and tightened her arms around him as he smiled and kissed her forehead. Caleb watched the scene a little skeptical. "What are your intentions towards my sister?", he asked hardly.

"Caleb!", Padmé snapped.

"I'm not talking to you!"

"Shut up, mind your own business!", she ordered.

"This IS my business! You are my sister!"

"That's right, and that doesn't make you my father!", she spat out.

"Hey, both of you!", Anakin interrupted. The siblings looked at him expectantly. "Can we just sit down and talk about this like adults?"

"NO!", came the replies.

"Oh... Okay", Anakin murmured.

"I asked you a question, Skywalker...", Caleb shot dryly. Padmé awaited Anakin's reply as patiently as possible. Anakin sighed and played with a lock of her hair.

"What do you think?", he asked, knowing the risk of his question. Padmé frowned in confusion. "They can't be any less than honorable", he looked down at her and they smiled at each other, "she deserves the best and I shall give it to her"

"How?", asked Caleb, breaking the moment. "You don't have a job, you are still in the Academy, you...". he was interrupted by a couple of amused chuckles and giggles coming from the couple. Caleb crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head. "I don't see why you think this is so funny..."

"Caleb, for Force's sake...", Anakin managed to say. Padmé shook her head and continued laughing.

"He's just my boyfriend!", she explained. Caleb realized he had overreacted a little (a LOT) and relaxed. Another doubt crossed his mind and he approached the pair.

"Why didn't you tell me? I would've underst... well, not really, but you still didn't tell me", he complained. Padmé smiled and stood on her tiptoes to kiss Anakin's cheek.

"We kinda forgot. And we liked keeping it a secret. It was more exciting. Besides, you would've freaked out... just like you did now", Padmé pointed. Anakin nodded and opened his mouth to speak.

"And I wanted to tell you in private because I knew you were going to ask me all this stupid questions. The bottom line is that I care for your sister and I respect her. The fact that she has your same blood encourages me to be extra careful of not hurting her feelings, because..."

"...I would kick your ass if you hurt her", Caleb finished for him. Anakin laughed nervously and walked to the door tugging Padmé along with him.

"Well, we have to go. I promised to take Padmé somewhere and if we don't hurry we won't make it there on time".

"Then go, because if you break your promise..."

"I will kick your ass", Padmé finished, smiling evilly at Anakin. He smiled back and they left. Once the door was closed, Caleb frowned.

"I didn't like the sound of that"

"Are we there yet?"

"No"

"Oh...", came the disappointed reply. Padmé sighed and fixed her eyes on the floor. Two seconds later her head shot up. "Are we there yet?"

Anakin stopped walking and turned to look at his impatient girlfriend.

"If you ask me again I will take you back to the hotel... with no surprise", he warned. Padmé sighed in defeat and nodded. Unable to resist, Anakin leaned down and gave her a quick peck on the lips. "Okay. Let's go". Padmé smiled and followed him.

They continued walking until Anakin led them into a high building in the middle of the city, the highest Padmé had seen since her arrival to Courasant. Quietly, Anakin pressed the button of the elevator at the lobby and patiently waited for the doors to open. Padmé fought the urge to tap the floor with her shoe. How long could it take an elevator to reach the lobby? Finally the bell rang, the sound music to her ears. As soon as the doors opened, Padmé entered and dragged Anakin inside with her. He chuckled and pressed the button for the highest floor.

"Padmé?", he broke the silence. Padmé turned to him and reached for his hand. "I'm sorry for not being 'that' available this last couple of weeks", he apologized. Padmé smiled and enveloped his waist with her arms.

"It's okay, Ani. You had to study for your exams. You will finish them soon and then you'll have all the time in the world", she assured, her eyes locked on his. Anakin gave her a lopsided smirk and kissed her forehead.

"Thank you for being so understanding. And to make it up to you, I prepared something special for us to do tonight", he finished. Padmé's eyes opened widely in curiosity.

"What?", she asked, eager to know his plans. Anakin shrugged and looked away. Padmé sighed and slapped his chest, turning away from him. "I hate you", she muttered as she crossed her arms over her chest. Anakin chuckled and shook his head.

"You love me and you know it!", he joked.

Padmé smiled sadly at his comment. What he had said as a joke was very close to the truth, only she wouldn't admit it to him, fearing he wouldn't feel the same for her. What if she told him and he said things were going too fast, that he wasn't prepared for something so serious? She forced the thought out of her head so that it wouldn't spoil their evening.

"Ani, I want to take this off!", she complained.

"No, you'll have to wait a little longer"

"Come on! I can't wear this for the rest of the night!". She tugged at the blindfold covering her eyes but Anakin stopped her.

"Hey, don't cheat! We are almost there...". he held her hand and guided her through the hall. They reached a door and he opened it for her, leading her to the terrace. Padmé felt the cool breeze against her face and shivered. Noticing this, Anakin stopped and placed his cloak around her.

"Thank you", she whispered. Anakin stood behind her and untied the knot holding the blindfold together. He removed it and smiled when Padmé pushed his hands away to see what he had prepared.

Her jaw fell, her eyes wide open in awe. A large terrace decorated with candles and wild flowers expected her, a small blanket lay on the floor with a basket on one side. Big cushions surrounded the blanket begging to be used, their softness and comfort visible. Looking beyond the rail of the terrace she discovered Courasant's lights shining at her under the wonderful field of stars that could be seen only from high heights. Pleased by her reaction, Anakin smiled.

"Well?", he questioned. Padmé turned around and threw her arms around his neck, holding him tightly to her. Barely pulling back she pressed her lips to his insistently. Anakin responded and wrapped his arms around her, relieved that she had liked the surprised.

Padmé pulled back kissing the corner of his mouth and smiled nervously at him. "Ani, this is beautiful!", she commented, shocked by all the care he had put on the surprise. Anakin chuckled and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

"Not bad for our official first date...", he added. Padmé sighed and kissed him again. The fact that they had never gone in a first date was always swirling around her mind, but she never mentioned it thinking that he might feel uneasy with little details. After seeing what he had prepared for them she should've known differently.

They pulled away with a loud smack. "This is amazing!", she said excitedly. Anakin chuckled and shook his head. "I mean it! This is by far the most romantic date anyone has ever prepared for me!"

Anakin disliked her last comment. Clearing his throat, he stepped back. Padmé smiled to herself.

He was jealous.

"Oh, so you had other boyfriends besides me?", he asked as calmly as he managed.

"Well, of course!", she replied trying to hide her amusement. "I've had… let me see… Um… There was… and also… and then…mmm, I've had one, two, three, four boyfriends", she replied, showing the number with her fingers to put emphasis on her point.

"What? FOUR?", Anakin asked in disbelief. Padmé giggled and stepped closer to him, circling his waist with her arms. Anakin stiffened clearly offended and looked away, trying to avoid her.

"Ani…", she began. She laughed once again at his stubbornness and shook her head. "Ani, look at me". He complied with a deep sigh to accompany his action. "I'm with you now, and there's no one else I want", she promised. Anakin arched a skeptical brow.

"Are you sure?". She just nodded, the smile immortal on her face. "Okay…", he granted, placing her hands around his neck and his arms around her waist. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him again, enjoying the feel of his lips against hers.

"You are so possessive, Anakin…", she pointed, giggling at his serious face. Anakin shrugged and held her hand, guiding her to the blanket. He sat down first leaning on the cushions and she followed him downwards, leaning her back on his chest and allowing his arms to steal around her waist. Looking upwards, she stared at the stars.

"They are so beautiful…", she whispered. Anakin smiled and inhaled her scent.

"Yes, they are", he agreed. Padmé sighed and turned her head so that it could rest on his shoulder and she could still have a clear view of him. She smiled when she noticed he was admiring the stars and looking everywhere at once, not wanting to miss one of them.

"So…", she broke in. Anakin looked at her and waited. "How many girls came before me?"

Anakin cleared his throat and stiffened again, looking away. Padmé gasped and turned his face to hers. "Tell me! I already told you!", she pressed. Anakin sighed in defeat and counted in his head.

"Six", was his shaky answer. It was his turn to enjoy her jealousy. She shifted in his arms and placed her hands on his knees, sitting up and away from him. Anakin chuckled and sat up too to be close to her. When his chin leaned on her shoulder she shrugged him off and all he could do was laugh. Padmé turned and spied him from the corner of her eye.

"I don't see what is so funny, Skywalker", she said coldly. Skywalker? This was worst than he had ever imagined and it made the situation even more amusing.

"Well… you, of course, 'Naberrie' ", he replied. "So you are not my first girlfriend, big deal! We've only been two weeks together and I KNOW that this will be the best relationship of my life"

She turned in his arms and placed her hands on his chest. "Are you sure?", she asked, her voice quivering. Anakin framed her face with his hands and kissed the tip of her nose.

"I'm certain". Her smile of relief washed over him.

"You better…", she warned playfully. Anakin chuckled and kissed her. Padmé sighed against his lips and moved her head to kiss his cheek. He mumbled her name and held her closer as he leaned back on the cushions, his chest pillowing her head.

"This is nice", he mused.

"Hmm, yes", she agreed. Her face lifted a couple of inches from his chest so that she could look at him. "Thank you, Ani. This is a perfect official first date". Anakin smiled at her and kissed her briefly.

"I'm glad you liked it"

Padmé sighed in contentment, clutching Anakin's robes and comfortably settling over him. Everything was perfect, peaceful, wonderful.

Never in her wildest dreams she could have imagined what was coming next.


	14. Terrible News

A/N: Sorry for the cliffhanger… 

Oh, Gods, the suspense in this chapter…! 

Sologirl: You are my favorite!

Korifi: You are not that far behind…

******************************************************************************************************

Caleb opened his eyes and muttered, angry that he had been disturbed from his sleep. The door to his room opened and in complete silence he followed the figure that clumsily made it's way to the bed next to his. 

"So", Caleb cut in sharply. The figure jumped and looked at Caleb. "How was your date?"

"Wonderful", Anakin replied. His roommate turned the light on and rubbed the sleep off of his eyes. When his eyes adjusted to the light Caleb noticed Anakin's grin.

"I don't like that smile…"

"Why not?", Anakin asked, his smile spreading more. Caleb leaned on his elbow and looked at his roommate.

"I don't want to form the thought in my head… For the first time in my life I'm not asking for 'details' and I hope you won't share them with me", he implied, disguising his real intent. Anakin recognized what he meant and laughed.

"I wouldn't have told you anyways, I'm a gentleman", he said proudly. Caleb scoffed and shook his head. "What, you don't believe me?", Anakin asked.

"I don't know you for that long, Skywalker, but everybody knows your reputation…", he said, putting special emphasis on the last word. Anakin frowned and crossed his arms, daring Caleb to continue. "I didn't say anything while Padmé was here to avoid hurting her, but I know that you weren't the 'gentleman' you claim to be with your other conquests…"

"That is the past", Anakin corrected quickly. "And Padmé is not a conquest, she's different, with her I'm different"

"People don't change, Anakin", Caleb said in a hard tone. Anakin shook his head.

"No, they don't change. They grow up", he countered. At a loss of words, Caleb just stared at him. For minutes they shot daggers at each other through their eyes, remaining in complete silence.

"If you hurt her I will make you regret it for the rest of your life", Caleb reminded. Anakin shook his head and chuckled sarcastically. "I mean it", he insisted, "I love Padmé, she means everything to me and if I ever see her shed a tear because of you… I swear to Yoda, Skywalker…"

"Drop the overprotective brother act, will you?", Anakin snapped. "I'm a big boy and I know how to do things right. And by the way, my relationship with Padmé is between me and her, not me, her and your family"

Caleb turned to his side and stared at the wall. Anakin took his clothes off and slid into his bed, still uneasy at the discussion he and Caleb had just had. He understood his worries for Padmé, but he was overreacting. Padmé. Anakin smiled impishly when he remembered their date. Everything had been perfect, even better than the way he had planned it. 

He recalled the way she had burrowed into his arms as if he was the only thing sustaining her. He smiled at the way Padmé had fed him dinner, careful of not dropping the food all over him in spite of her shaky pulse. When her hand relented she had spilled the food over his robe, giggling playfully at his shock.

He remembered how they had fallen asleep in each other's arms, careless of the worlds around them. He remembered how he had been forced out of his sleep by the feathery kisses she was pressing on his face. He remembered the shock on her face when he had flung her onto her back and started tickling her, extracting even louder laughs than the ones he had forced from her in his dorm.

But what had definitely immortalized in his head was the gentle and loving look she had given him when her laughter ceased.

With that memory in his mind, he fell asleep.

***

One week later.

Padmé was getting ready for bed after another wonderful date with Anakin. Reaching for her datapad she checked her messages before going to sleep. She frowned when she saw a specific name in her inbox. She clicked on the message and read it. As the words processed in her head she felt everything going in slow motion.

It was terrible news. At least to her they seemed terrible.

How would she face it? How would she tell Anakin? Was it worth to continue with their relationship?

Padmé closed her datapad and placed it on her nightstand. She sighed determinedly, her decision already made.

**

Anakin had just finished one of his exams and was walking merrily back to his dorm. His joyful pace was interrupted with the annoying beep of his comm. link. Looking down, he reached for it and answered the call. A small hologram of Padmé met his eyes.

"Hi, Padmé! Boy, do I have good news for you… I just finished my…"

"Ani", she interrupted. "We have to talk".

Anakin felt his stomach contracting in warning. Something was wrong… terribly wrong.

"Um, okay. Meet me in Dex's Diner?", he suggested. Padmé shook her head and sighed.

"It's better if you come here". Anakin swallowed hard and nodded.

"All right. I'll be there in 20 minutes", he assured.

"Good. See you then". Her image faded leaving a puzzled Anakin staring into nothingness. What was happening?

*

Every step echoed in the walls of the hallway. Every move seemed to go in slow motion. After what seemed like years to Anakin, he finally reached Padmé's door. Before he could knock the door opened. Padmé received him and asked him to come in, immediately closing the door once he was inside.

"Padmé, what…?"

"Let's go to the living room. We can talk there", she said sharply. Anakin just nodded and followed her. Once they were sitting on the couch, not necessarily comfortable, she started.

"Anakin, we have to end this"


	15. The Confession

A/N: Sorry for how it ended before… This should answer your doubts.

Oh, if you only knew what plans I have for this two…

Enjoy.

******************************************************************************************************

Anakin's heart pounded furiously in his ears. His palms started sweating. His mouth dried. After seeing he couldn't form any words, Padmé continued.

"I have to go back to Naboo. My classes start in a week, and I won't be able to come here all the time", she explained. When Anakin could find his voice, he spoke.

"That doesn't mean we have to end this", he managed to say barely in a whisper.

"And what do you want, a long distance relationship?", she spat as she stood up and walked away from him. He was having none of that.

"Yes!", he replied, his voice rising as well. Padmé turned around to look at him, her face lacking of emotion.

"I can't have that", was her dry answer. Anakin frowned and shook his head, confused beyond his reigns. 

"Why not?", he asked. Padmé looked down.

"It doesn't matter", she whispered.

"Yes, it does!", his hard voice informed. "Tell me!"

"No!"

Anakin stood up and took two steps forward leaving him ten feet away from her. 

"Why? Is the thought of having a long distance relationship with me so repulsive that you're not able to look at me?", he questioned. Padmé's head shot up and he noticed her eyes were shining with unshed tears.

"No", she shook her head.

"Then what?", he insisted. "Tell me now!"

"I won't"

"I deserve an explanation!", he demanded. "You can't break up with me without even telling me why!"

"I told you why!", she shot back.

"That was a lame reason and you know it! TELL ME!! Tell me why you won't have a long distance relationship with me! Tell me why you…!". Before he could finish Padmé's eyes cut into his fiercely, burning and hurting.

"Because I love you, okay?!", she snapped. 

Anakin froze. 

"I love you and I can't bear the thought of not seeing you every day! I can't sleep at night afraid that I'll wake up to see that this had to end at some point!! I won't be able to be apart from you for three months until I get my next break! I need you too much to handle the distance! I LOVE YOU, OKAY?! Are you happy now? Did that answer your question?!".

Her ragged breathing didn't go unnoticed, neither did her tears. But she didn't care anymore. She had finally gotten it out of her chest and felt relieved that he knew. On the other hand, Anakin tried to put his thoughts in order, but her sudden confession caught him off guard. Eating up the distance between them, he stood inches away from her and with wide eyes stared at her bent head.

"P…Padmé", he stuttered. "I…I didn't know…"

Before he could finish she had collapsed in his arms, pressing him against her and holding him close. Her face was hidden in his chest, her body shaking uncontrollably in his arms, her tears drenching his cloak. Taken aback, Anakin trailed his hands up and down her back, trying to absorb her pain. Her sobs and sharp intakes of breath seemed to choke her, and as calmly as possible Anakin pulled away enough to cup her face and look into her eyes.

"I love you, Padmé. Just as much", he whispered. Padmé gasped, shocked by his words. He loved her? Anakin held her chin and smiled when he felt it trembling over his hand. "I've loved you since I first kissed you and love you more with every day that goes by", he added. Padmé smiled and watched in amusement as he rolled his eyes. "I know, it sounds corny…"

"Yes", she agreed, her hands flying up to cup his face. "But I like it". Anakin smiled and lowered his face to kiss her, enjoying how her fingers tangled in his hair. She loved him! he couldn't believe it… it seemed so unreal! Which presented a bigger problem if she had to go. Unwillingly, he pulled back and held her so that her cheek was resting on his shoulder.

"Sorry for snapping like that… I couldn't control myself", she muffled against his robe. Anakin smiled and tightened his arms around her.

"Yes, you were a little dramatic…", he added.

Padmé giggled and playfully slapped his chest. She knew it hadn't been that long of an embrace because it was over sooner than she would've wanted. She knew what was coming.

"So… what are we going to do?", Anakin asked, concern written all over his face. Padmé shrugged and shook her head.

"I don't know, Ani. You have to finish your studies and training in the Jedi Academy and I have to finish college". Anakin pondered her words in his head and tried to find a solution.

"I could visit you in the weekends", he suggested. Padmé smiled sadly and stroked his cheek.

"How?"

"I'll look for a job somewhere, of course. I think the dean will allow me to visit you. After what happened to my mother he's been feeling guilty". Padmé just looked at him. "What? Did you expect me to sit around and do nothing about this?", he said mockingly. Padmé smiled and shook her head.

"When it comes to you, I should know better", she replied with a sigh. Anakin bent his head and stole a quick kiss before he guided them to the couch where they could talk calmly of the delicate subject. They both reached for their personal organizers and compared their schedules.

"Okay, you can't visit me until two weeks from Friday because you have tests every Monday until that date", Padmé started.

"I could study in the shuttle", he cut in. Padmé's eyes shot up to his and she shook her head.

"No, you won't be able to pull that off. The shuttles are very noisy and crowded, and…"

"Padmé: the weirdest creatures and aliens use those transports for traveling, too. The LAST thing I want is having to stare at them for six hours…I'll just lock myself somewhere", he said. Padmé laughed and held his hand. Anakin smiled and entwined his fingers with hers. "It will be fine, Padmé, really", he insisted.

"I know"

The truth was she didn't know. Could this work? The fact that he loved her reassured her and made her happy. After all this wasn't a one-sided feeling as she had feared before. But there was still the distance problem. What if he failed his classes because of her? She would never forgive herself if that happened. She was going to college because she had chosen that path. Anakin was going to the Jedi Academy because he needed it, it was his destiny.

Padmé sighed in determination. If she wanted this to work, they would have to make it work.

***

The spaceport was noisy and crowded with creatures of every existent species. Somehow Anakin and Padmé made their way through the crowd and retreated to an almost quiet corner where they could say good bye to each other. As soon as they were isolated from the loud place Padmé stole her arms around his neck and closed her eyes to take everything in. Anakin wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his face in her hair, enjoying the closeness. 

They held each other until the third and last boarding call echoed through the speakers. Pulling back Padmé pressed her lips against his for a last kiss. Anakin responded and tried to prolong the moment for as long as he could, sliding his lips over hers in a head spinning kiss. Padmé noticed he was getting a little carried away so she pulled back, hating herself for having to break the kiss.

"I have to go", her broken voice whispered. Anakin nodded and cupped her face, memorizing her features. Nose to nose, he whispered back.

"I love you". Padmé leaned closer and captured his mouth for a short kiss.

"I love you, too", she replied against his lips. Anakin kissed her forehead and had to force himself to pull back. He held her hand and escorted her to the door of the transport. Once she was in it, she turned to look at him one last time. Anakin smiled reassuringly and cupped her face in his hand. Padmé smiled back and gave him a quick kiss before turning and walking to her seat, afraid that if she looked at him one minute longer she would stay.

Anakin stood there, watching as the shuttle disappeared in the sky and into space. Feeling defeated, he made his way back to the Jedi Academy.


	16. Meet the folks

A/N: Here's the next post. Here's a nice, long chapter (it's 7 pages on Word!) Enjoy.  
  
**************************************************************************** **************************  
  
"Is she gone?"  
  
"You should know. She's your sister", Anakin replied dryly. "The least you could do was going to see her off". Caleb turned in his chair and looked at Anakin.  
  
"I didn't want to be in the way. It was the last time you would see each other in a while", he confessed. Anakin smiled sadly and placed a friendly hand on Caleb's shoulder.  
  
"Thank you, I appreciate it", he said earnestly. Caleb smiled and gave his roommate a quick hug.  
  
"So.", he sighed. "What are you going to do?"  
  
"I'll visit her next weekend", Anakin replied.  
  
"But. did the dean allow it?"  
  
"With some conditions. I have to make up for Friday's classes during the week. If I do that I can go from Friday to Sunday to Naboo", he explained. Caleb cleared his throat and shifted in his seat, feeling uncomfortable for what he had to ask next.  
  
"Sorry for asking, but where are you going to get the money?". It was Anakin's turn to sigh.  
  
"I'll fix droids in the shop around the corner"  
  
"Does it pay well?", Caleb asked curiously. Anakin shrugged.  
  
"If I work two hours from Monday to Thursday I can make enough to buy tickets for one weekend, perhaps enough to rent a small room in Theed somewhere."  
  
"But Anakin, you could stay in my house with my family. You would save a lot", Caleb suggested. Anakin face brightened with a smile.  
  
"Really? 'Cause that would help!". His roommate chuckled and shook his head.  
  
"Of course! I can't believe Padmé never mentioned it.", he said. Anakin smiled sheepishly and sat on his bed.  
  
"I didn't tell her how much I'd be earning with my job. It would be a burden on her shoulders and she has enough worries as it is".  
  
Caleb stood up and sat on his bed, staring at Anakin and smiling.  
  
"You are going through a lot of trouble just to be with her", Caleb observed. Anakin's eyes fixed on the window as he sighed whimsically.  
  
"She's worth the trouble. I really care for her", he said dismissively, trying to keep his feelings to himself. But Caleb already knew Anakin well enough to know there was more going on.  
  
"It's been a while since you stopped 'caring' for her and evolved to something deeper. I'm not blind, Anakin", he said, unable to hold back a smile. Anakin blushed and grinned.  
  
"I can see that"  
  
***  
  
Anakin tripped on his feet when he convulsively made his way to his desk. Standing up, he reached for his comm. link and answered the incoming call.  
  
"Padmé?!", he asked breathlessly even before the hologram appeared. When her image was presented in front of him he felt his heart jump up and down in joy.  
  
"Yes, it's me. How are you? How did your test go?", she blurted out. Anakin smiled widely at her and sighed in relief.  
  
"Great, I passed the class. How was your trip?"  
  
"Boring. sad.", she paused and lowered her head. "I haven't seen you or talked to you in two days and it feels like years", she confessed. Anakin wished more than anything he could hold her in his arms in that very moment, but he knew it was impossible.  
  
"I miss you too, Padmé. But don't worry, I'll be there next Friday", he promised. Padmé tried to smile and looked at him.  
  
"I can't wait to see you, Ani".  
  
"I want to see you too, we just have to wait for another week. In the meantime, you can tell me about school", he said, desperate to change the painful subject.  
  
"My classes started yesterday and I got to see my friends again, so I was really happy. They all want to meet you", she said, a hopeful smile lightning her face.  
  
"And I will", he assured. Padmé opened her eyes widely when she remembered something.  
  
"Oh! I forgot to tell you! We have a new student and the dean asked me to show him around campus. I have to take him everywhere!", she complained. Anakin's smile disappeared.  
  
'Him'?  
  
"Oh, really.", he asked dryly, his eyes naturally drifting away from her.  
  
"Yes, his name is.", Padmé stopped talking when she noticed Anakin's discomfort. "Ani, are you jealous?", she asked, her giggle perfectly audible to his ears.  
  
"No!", he snapped. Padmé arched a skeptical brow. Anakin rolled his eyes and wove his hands in the air. "Okay, yes! I'm jealous. So what?"  
  
"Nothing", she shook her head. "You do trust me, right?"  
  
"Of course I do, Padmé", he replied quickly.  
  
"Good. Because I trust you too and I know that we will make this work"  
  
*  
  
Anakin had never worked harder in his entire life. He had classes every morning, work on the afternoon and more classes at nights. But his effort was about to pay off. It was Friday, the day he had expected to come for more than a week, and he was in the space shuttle on his way to see Padmé.  
  
She was going to spend that weekend at her parent's house and not in campus, so he was probably going to meet her family. Anakin thought he was okay with this, but as hours passed, his heart started beating faster and faster.  
  
//Well, maybe we'll go somewhere before going to her house//, he thought hopefully, albeit he knew it wasn't a possibility.  
  
He arrived to Theed's spaceport and looked around in awe. Naboo was nothing like Courasant or Tatooine. It was a beautiful planet that even had vegetation in the city. It was beautiful. But even more beautiful was the girl that suddenly jumped into his arms and wrapped her legs around his waist, holding onto him for dear life. He almost fell on his back but managed to maintain his balance. Her passionate kiss he received and responded with equal fervor, disbelieving he was finally holding her in his arms. His bags dropped to the floor, forgotten the minute he stole his arms around her and pressed her closer to him. Reluctantly they broke apart for much needed air, their foreheads resting together.  
  
"I can't believe you are here.", she whispered against his lips, still breathless from his heart-stopping kiss. Anakin kissed her again and smiled.  
  
"I can't believe it either.". He closed his eyes and sighed. "Gods, I love you". When he opened his eyes again he found hers meeting his, wet with tears of joy.  
  
"I love you too, Ani", she replied right before their lips met again and again. As they kissed with abandon, Anakin noticed that several eyes were fixed on them. He placed one final kiss on her lips before untangling her from him and settling her on the floor. She smiled and grasped his hand, squeezing it in happiness. Anakin picked up his bag and smiled down at Padmé.  
  
"So. Where are we headed to?", he asked. Padmé giggled and unable to resist his smirk pulled him down for another kiss.  
  
"To my house. You are going to meet my family", she replied. Anakin gasped to then swallow hard. Meeting her family? Her PARENTS?  
  
"Uh. R-Reall-Really?", he stuttered, his eyes wide with shock. Padmé's head shot back as she laughed at the expression on his face. "What are you laughing about? This is serious!", he asked, the annoyance in his voice only causing Padmé to laugh harder.  
  
"You, of course!", she managed to answer. Anakin rolled his eyes and let go of her hand so he could cross his arms over his chest. Padmé smiled sympathetically at him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Oh, Ani.", she sighed against his shoulder. "You make it impossible for me not to love you"  
  
Anakin smiled in defeat and surrounded her waist with his arms. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to overreact"  
  
"It's okay, Ani. All that matters is that we are together again", she assured with a smile.  
  
"I know", he whispered huskily.  
  
*  
  
Anakin took a deep breath and opened his eyes. The door before him opened and a couple received him and Padmé, both looking on their mid forties. Padmé stepped forward, tugging his hand along with her and they both stood in front of her parents.  
  
"Mom, dad, this is Anakin Skywalker. Anakin, this are my parents"  
  
Padmé's mother extended her hand and Anakin shook it, never breaking eye- contact with the woman.  
  
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Naberrie"  
  
"It's nice to meet you, too. This is my husband", she said, stepping back so Anakin could meet Padmé's father. The man looked at him, his serious expression forcing Anakin to hold his breath.  
  
"Hello, Anakin", he greeted, grasping Anakin's hand and firmly shaking it.  
  
"Mr. Naberrie", he said, his voice shaking.  
  
He had never been more nervous in his entire life, but Padmé's parents were nice to him. Very nice, actually. Their calmed demeanor didn't convince Anakin at first, but then he shrugged it off thinking he was just being paranoid.  
  
After having lunch with her parents Padmé took Anakin to the garden of her house, always holding his hand. They sat under a tree and started to catch up with all the news they hadn't told each other yet and spent a lovely evening together.  
  
"Oh, Ani. I forgot to tell you: my cousin is coming for a visit. She will be staying with us for the weekend", Padmé informed all of the sudden. Anakin smiled and stroked her cheek.  
  
"Okay". He was leaning closer to kiss her when.  
  
"Padmé! Come inside, it's getting chilly"  
  
Both turned to see Mr. Naberrie standing in the balcony, watching them. Padmé rolled her eyes and slowly stood up, almost reluctantly. Anakin helped her and they both made their way inside the house. Padmé held onto his arm and rested her head on him, sighing tiredly.  
  
"I'm sorry, Ani", she whispered. They stopped walking and he turned to look at him, the familiar frown not surprising her in the least bit.  
  
"Why?", he whispered.  
  
"Well, we haven't seen each other in so long and when we get to see each other it has to be in my house, with my parents, especially my dad, watching us all the time", she explained. Anakin smiled and brought her closer for an embrace.  
  
"It's all right, Padmé. If I had a daughter like you I would also be watching over her if she brought some guy to my house", he soothed. Padmé shook her head and pulled back a little to look up at him.  
  
"But you are not just 'some guy', you are my boyfriend"  
  
"But your parents don't see me like that yet. I'm a stranger to them. Give them time to trust me and then everything will be fine". Padmé sighed and held him closer.  
  
"I hope you are right".  
  
*  
  
"Come in", Anakin said. The door to his room opened revealing Mr. Naberrie standing in the door. Anakin quickly stood up from his bed and fixed his robe. "Mr. Naberrie, pelase come in. take a seat", he blurted out.  
  
Padmé's father entered the room and closed the door, not completely shutting it. He sat on a chair and motioned for Anakin to sit in front of him. Anakin moved a chair and sat down, facing Padmé's father, his hands sweaty and his heartbeat quickening.  
  
"Anakin, I have to talk to you about Padmé", he started. Anakin nodded. "I'll be honest with you. Padmé is attending Theed University, the best education you can get around here. Since you came into the picture, I've seen her a little distracted. Every time I call her to campus she's talking to her friends about you and never studying. I don't want you to interfere with her studies"  
  
"Mr. Naberrie, I. I didn't know about this, she never told me."  
  
"I haven't finished", he cut in sharply. Anakin swallowed hard and gave a quick nod. "You are a distraction to her. I also don't know if I can trust you, I know nothing about your background or your family. I don't know how you and Padmé's relationship is evolving", he said.  
  
Anakin knew what he meant with 'evolving' but he wasn't about to tell him everything he and Padmé had done. Where was this conversation going? Neither him or Mr. Naberrie noticed that Padmé was behind the door listening to everything they said.  
  
"I. I don't know what you are asking from me, sir. I mean, I could tell you about my family."  
  
"Go", Mr. Naberrie ordered. Anakin cleared his throat and shifted on his seat.  
  
"Well, my mother lives in Tatooine as a slave. I have no brothers or sisters, it's just me and her."  
  
"No father?", Mr. Naberrie asked in disbelief. Anakin shook his head.  
  
"No"  
  
"So you are the bastard son of a slave?"  
  
Anakin fought the urge to hit the man. How dare he implied such a thing? He felt his anger boiling, his blood burning in his veins. His jaw pressed tightly against his teeth, shaking a little. From the other side of the door, Padmé held back her tears of anger and sadness.  
  
"Not quite", Anakin managed to drawl. "My mother conceived me by herself, she was never with a man. It's a very complex situation. I was conceived by midichlorians. The Jedi measure a Jedi's potential by."  
  
"I know what midichlorians are. My son is studying to become a Jedi too, you know? Caleb's midichlorian count exceeds 900. it's the highest count registered in Naboo", Mr. Naberrie said proudly. "How high is yours?", he asked, thinking that Anakin was inferior.  
  
"It exceeds 20.000. It's the highest count registered in Jedi History, even higher than Master Yoda's", he replied, trying not to sound too smug. Mr. Naberrie tried to hide his shock and cleared his throat several times.  
  
"Oh. Um, good for you", he managed.  
  
Padmé had to cover her mouth to hold back her laughter. It was the first time a boyfriend of hers actually impressed her father and Anakin had just done it brilliantly.  
  
"Thank you", Anakin replied, fighting his smile.  
  
"I'll give this straight to you: I don't think you deserve Padmé, but I'm willing to give you a chance to prove yourself"  
  
"Excuse me, sir, but I think I have nothing to prove"  
  
"Like hell you do!", Mr. Naberrie snapped. "We are a very respected family here in Naboo, and I'm not about to let a former slave take advantage of my daughter's innocence! I'm telling you, Skywalker, if you are with Padmé just for our money, I'll."  
  
Anakin stood up, clearly offended.  
  
"I'm not with her for her money! I love you daughter, sir, and I want to be with her. She's an amazing, wonderful, giving, beautiful woman that has a lot to give. But I guess you can't see that because you are implying that the only reason a man should be with her is for her family's wealth!", Anakin accused in a hard tone. Mr. Naberrie stood up as well.  
  
"Don't you dare you raise your voice at me in MY house!", he warned. "I know my daughter and I know that she's a wonderful girl. Don't you ever doubt that!"  
  
Anakin remained silent, trying to stay calmed. He had finally gathered his courage to say something when Mr. Naberrie interrupted him before he could speak.  
  
"I'll be watching you, young man. Count on it"  
  
Padmé sensed her father was about to leave Anakin's room and quickly hid inside the small closet in the hallway. After making sure his footsteps faded in the background, she slowly opened the door and walked into Anakin's room. He was standing by the window, watching the moon, his hands clasped behind him.  
  
She quietly made her way to stand beside him, her eyes never leaving his profile. When he acknowledged her presence he turned to look at her, a worried frown decorating his face.  
  
"Padmé, you shouldn't be here. What if your father walks in?", he asked. Padmé moved in front of him and surrounded his waist with her arms, looking up at him.  
  
"I just saw him walking out. I heard what he said", she confessed. Anakin looked away, his mouth set in a straight line. Padmé tightened her arms around him and tilted her head, searching his eyes. "Are you okay?"  
  
Anakin's eyes returned to hers. He shrugged and forced a smile in an attempt to wash away her worries, but she knew him too well.  
  
"Ani.", she insisted. He sighed and kissed her forehead, his hand clutching to the back of her neck affectionately.  
  
"I'm fine", he whispered.  
  
"Ani, I know that you love me and that you are honest with me. I don't agree with anything my father said. I don't care if you were a slave and I don't care where you come from, I just care about you. You know that, right?"  
  
Anakin sighed again and wrapped his arms around her, his head lowering to rest his chin on her shoulder. "I know, Padmé" 


	17. Complications

A/N: Sorry for not updating earlier. Somebody reported me for having a "non story" fic posted on ff.net. Oh, well… As we say in the Star Wars universe: "Sith happens"

SPECIAL THANKS TO MY "FAVORITE BRAT". YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!!

Now let's move to the interesting part.

Enjoy!

*******************************************************************************************************

"Ani, come over here!", Padmé called. Anakin straightened his robes and exited his room, making his way to where Padmé's voice had come. He found her sitting on the living room in front of a young redheaded girl. She looked the same age as Padmé, maybe a couple of years older. When she saw him, the girl stood up and smiled mysteriously at him.

"Ani, this is my cousin, Keré", Padmé introduced, standing up as well. Anakin stepped closer to the girl and shook her hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Keré", he said politely. Keré squeezed his hand and Anakin fought the urge to frown at her simple but compromising gesture. 

"It's good to finally see who the famous Anakin was…", she said, her half smile somewhat intriguing. "Padmé doesn't stop talking about you. I see that her enthusiasm was justified…"

Anakin laughed nervously and released Keré's hand, not before she gave his one final squeeze. He stood next to Padmé and placed his arm around her, leaning down to kiss her temple. She flung her arm around his waist and smiled in contentment.

"So… what have you planned for us today?", he asked. Padmé looked up at him and shrugged.

"I don't know… I was thinking that maybe I could take you to my family's lake retreat", her head turned to her cousin, "would you like to join us, Keré?"

"Oh, thank you but you probably want to spend some time alone", she politely declined, playing with a lock of her hair and smiling. Anakin looked at her with a cynical eye. Her body language acted opposite to her words.

"I think Keré should go with you, Padmé", a deep voice cut in. They all turned around to find Padmé's father standing in the doorway, apparently having just entered the house. Immediately Anakin released Padmé and placed his hands at his back, as if he had just been caught doing something forbidden. "I don't want you to be with Anakin in the lake retreat all by yourself"

"Dad, I'm 18 years old!", Padmé complained.

"For as long as you live in this house you will live under MY rules. And I order you to take Keré with you", he retorted, stepping forward. Having the rebel spirit that was so much like her, Padmé folded her arms in front of her and looked defiantly at her father, the conversation between Anakin and him last night still fresh in her mind.

"Then maybe I shouldn't live here"

"It's okay, Padmé. Keré can come with us", Anakin quickly broke in, afraid that she could start an argument with her father because of him. Padmé's shoulders loosened a little at the sound of his voice, her head turning to smile kindly at her boyfriend.

"Good. I want you back by tomorrow evening", Padmé's father ordered. Anakin didn't miss the disapproving look he gave him. He looked away only his eyes landed on Keré.

She was staring at him, her icy green eyes cutting through his soul as if she knew his every secret. Feeling uneasy at the look she was giving him, his eyes flew back to Padmé.

Keré smiled knowingly.

*

The journey to the lake retreat was unforgettable for Anakin. He had never imagined a planet could be so beautiful and full of life. To get to the retreat they had to cross the lake in a small speed boat. Anakin looked around in awe. He had never seen so much water in his entire life! He wanted to jump off the boat and swim to the now visible retreat, but thought better when he realized Padmé was in his arms and maybe wouldn't like to be thrown to the water like that.

His eyes naturally focused on the retreat before him. he had never seen such a house. //House? That's a palace!//, he thought. His eyes moved a little lower and he caught Keré staring at him. As much as he wanted to he couldn't look away. There was something about her icy green gaze that mesmerized him. He wondered if Padmé noticed Keré looking at him. He looked down and smiled when he saw Padmé sleeping peacefully, her head resting on his chest. Leaning down he placed a soft kiss on her hair. His head shot up when he heard Keré giggling, her head shaking.

*

"Do you like it?", Padmé asked, tugging on Anakin's hand. He looked everywhere at once, like a little boy who had just arrived to the world. Padmé smiled and placed her arm around his waist. "Ani… I asked you a question!", she giggled. 

Anakin finally looked down into Padmé's eyes. He smiled broadly and nodded enthusiastically. "It's amazing! I've never seen something as beautiful as this!"

"Are you sure?", a voice intruded. Padmé and Anakin turned to see Keré standing behind them, her arms crossed over her chest. "For Padmé, I mean…", she added. Anakin smiled nervously and pulled Padmé closer.

"Well, she's a different kind of beautiful", he quickly explained. Padmé laughed and shook her head.

"You and your pick-up lines!", she said, still giggling. "Let's go, I want to show you the balcony. It has a beautiful view to the lake, you'll love it!". She walked ahead of them, leaving Anakin and Keré behind.

"A…are you coming?", he stuttered. Keré stepped forward and walked pass him, not before glancing at him from over her shoulder. Anakin swallowed hard and followed her.

*

The view presented before him exceeded anything he had considered beautiful. It was just …breathtaking, for lack of a better word. Green mountains towered fertile fields, purplish and harmless clouds blanketing them. A mirror-like lake awakening everything on its way, giving life to endless shores of ancient yellow sand. Anakin gasped when he saw the small island only miles away from where he stood, its small beach inviting and tempting. Padmé smiled and leaned the side of her face on her chest, sighing in contentment.

"I'm glad you liked it", she mumbled. Anakin looked down at her, his blue eyes shining in wonder.

"I love it!", he gasped. "I never thought something could be so perfect! It's amazing how…", he paused and cupped her face. "Thank you for bringing me here, Padmé"

Padmé smiled again and pulled him closer for a short kiss. Anakin rested his chin on top of her head and glanced in front of him.

She was staring at him. Again. 

*

After a long day Anakin was lying awake on his bed, his hands clasped behind his head as he stared at the ceiling. He couldn't stop thinking about Keré and her strange behavior. Why did he feel as if she was always watching him? Maybe because she was. Whenever he looked at her he caught her eyes fixed on him, that annoying little half-smile always present on her lips, as if she knew something he didn't. His disturbing thoughts were interrupted when the door to his room slowly opened, effectively getting his attention. 

"What are you doing here?", he whispered in disbelief as he supported himself on his elbows. Padmé giggled and closed the door behind her.

"What does it look like?", she asked, trying to sound innocent as she walked towards Anakin. She slipped under the sheets next to him and flung her arm around his waist, sighing when she felt the warm skin of his chest against her cheek.

"Padmé, what if your father finds out?", Anakin asked, resisting the urge grab her face and kiss her. Padmé giggled again.

"I'm not planning on telling him…", she smiled. Anakin rolled his eyes and chuckled.

"Come on, Padmé! This is serious! What if your father finds out?", he repeated.

"How exactly could THAT happen?", she whispered as she pressed kisses to his neck.

"Well, Keré is here…", he said, closing his eyes to concentrate. Padmé raised on one elbow and looked down at him.

"Anakin, Keré won't say anything! Besides, its none of her business what we do. Just relax!", she almost pleaded. Anakin sighed and realized she was right. He smiled widely and pulled her closer for a kiss. "I knew you would see it my way", Padmé mumbled against his lips.

Neither of them noticed the eyes watching from outside the window. Keré smiled and retreated to her room, her plan already taking motion in her head.

*

The following afternoon.

Naberrie home, back in Theed.

Padmé sighed loudly as she dropped her bag on her bed. The journey from the lake retreat to her home in Theed was long and exhausting but it was nothing compared to her sadness. Anakin had to leave in a couple of hours, and she knew she wouldn't be strong enough to see him off. She smiled when she remembered their weekend. Everything had gone perfectly well, just as she had pictured it would be.

"Padmé, come to my office, please", her father's voice intruded. Padmé turned and saw her father standing under the door frame, his hard expression preparing her for the worst. As she followed him into the little office he had in the house she caught sight of Anakin, already waiting inside. Padmé frowned in confusion and gave a little jump when her father closed the door. He motioned for her to sit across from Anakin and she silently complied.

Ruwee Naberrie sat in the chair between his daughter and Anakin so that he could look at both of them. Padmé could hear her heart beating strongly in her ears.

"I thought I had made myself PERFECTLY clear when I said I didn't want you to be alone with Anakin. Apparently you disregarded my orders", Ruwee started, turning accusing eyes to his daughter and ignoring her boyfriend. Padmé's eyes opened widely as she fixed her gaze on Anakin. He looked even more terrified. "Well? Are you going to deny it?"

"No", she rasped, her eyes lowering to the floor. Ruwee shook his head disapprovingly and sighed dramatically.

"What is wrong with you, Padmé? Don't you have any morals? Haven't me and your mother taught you that you have to respect yourself?", he questioned. Padmé's head shot up in a split second.

"I respect myself, father! And yes, I have morals!", she snapped.

"Apparently you don't! You gave yourself to this… this…slave boy and ignored your honor!". Anakin's jaw clenched in anger. He had to do everything in his willpower to restrain his impulse of hitting Padmé's father.

"Stop calling him a slave!", Padmé yelled. "He's not a slave! He's a good man, he's my boyfriend and it's time you get used to having him here!"

Anakin looked at Padmé with loving eyes. She was having an argument with her father because of him. Ruwee turned to look at Anakin.

"I don't want to see you in my house again, understood?", he ordered. Anakin didn't know what to say.

"Don't listen to him Ani, you are welcome to come back whenever you want", Padmé quickly cut in.

"You dare contradict my orders? How can you even do that? You have no right to do this, you hold no responsibility over your actions, you just go and do whatever you want! You slept with this man without thinking of the consequences! You are not married! You are doing this just to make me angry!!", Ruwee accused. Padmé stood up and moved where Anakin was sitting, grabbing his hand and holding it in hers.

"I would never do something like that just to get to your nerves. If Anakin and I did what we did is because we love each other and no contract or title will make our relationship seem more real. We don't need to be married to love each other", Padmé said as calmly as possible. Ruwee sighed and shook his head.

"Padmé… I don't know you anymore. You weren't like this before! This man is corrupting you!"

"His name is Anakin", Padmé corrected. She and her father locked gazes for a long moment.

"What did I do to deserve this? What made you change so much? What happened to you?", Ruwee asked, his voice hopeless. A ghost of a smile touched Padmé's lips.

"I fell in love", she whispered. Ruwee stood up and opened the door.

"I want him out of this house in five minutes"

Anakin stood up and squeezed Padmé's hand. Ruwee arched an expectant brow and looked at his daughter's boyfriend.

"I don't care what you think about Padmé because I know it's not true, and I'm careless of the way you feel about me. I want you to know that I respect you as Padmé's father and that I will not enter this house again until you apologize to me, and most important, to Padmé", he said. Padmé's eyes opened widely and she turned to look at her father. She knew what was coming. Ruwee stepped forward until he was in front of Anakin. He was much taller than him, but he didn't care. The young man would learn his place.

"Get your dirty hands out of my daughter and leave this house immediately", Ruwee ordered. Anakin nodded and looked down at Padmé's father.

"I'll be happy to", he whispered. Taking one last glance at him, he left the office and went into his room to get his bags. In the meantime, Padmé and her father were engaged in a heated discussion in the office. Knowing that it was going to take them a while, he wrote a note for Padmé and left it on her bed so that she knew he was waiting for her outside.

*

"Why did you have to talk to him like that?", Padmé yelled. Ruwee turned to look at her.

"Because he deserves it! If he thinks he can just have his way with you in MY lake retreat or wherever he wants he is wrong!", he yelled back.

"He never had his way with me, and whatever happens between us is OUR business, not yours!", she snapped. Ruwee walked toward her and looked down at her.

"It IS my business because you are MY daughter! I never want to see you with that man in my house again, understood?"

"I'd never bring him back here after how you treated him. He deserves better than this", Padmé said fervently. 

*

Anakin waited outside the house leaning on a wall. He counted to 10. It still annoyed him. Keré was next to him, her eyes fixed on him. He knew that Keré had something to do with Ruwee finding out. Anakin looked longingly at the door, hoping to see Padmé walking out any minute so that she could spend some time with him before his departure.

"I have a terrible headache…"

Anakin turned around to see Keré. She was leaning against the wall, her fingers rubbing her temple. His eyes returned to the front.

"I'm sorry to hear that", he said thickly. It was obvious that he wasn't enjoying her presence.

"You have healing powers, right?", Keré asked all of the sudden. Anakin simply nodded. "Oh, great. Maybe you could cure me of this horrible headache"

Anakin glanced at her, studying her with his eyes. "I'm not supposed to use my powers for little things", was his muttered reply. Keré pushed herself from the wall and walked towards Anakin, leaning her elbow on the wall next to him. Unable to resist, he fixed his eyes on hers.

"It's not little. It's huge. Besides, I thought Jedi were supposed to help people, and you are not being of great help, Ani"

"Don't call me Ani", he cut in, his eyes burning in frustration. Here he was in front of Keré, knowing that she had ruined his weekend with Padmé but he had no way to prove it. She tilted her head and giggled lightly.

"Fine, whatever you say. Now, would you please heal me? I _need_ you". Anakin didn't miss the double intent in her words but decided to be polite. With a huge sigh he brought his hands up to cup her face so he could assist her. Closing his eyes, he attempted to concentrate but the feeling of foreboding didn't give him place to think.

Keré looked up at him and in a smooth motion grabbed the collar of his robe to pull him down, crushing her lisp to his. Anakin's eyes opened immediately and he groaned in protest, but Keré just held him tighter and kept kissing him. When he finally freed himself form her grip he pulled back and stared dumbfounded at her, his breathing heavy and his eyes asking a million questions. He was about to speak them when a thump behind him caught his attention. 

Turning around he saw Padmé standing right behind them, her bag forgotten at her feet. 


	18. Consequences

Anakin looked at Padmé and then at Keré, realizing what Padmé had seen and what she might have thought about it. Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward.

"Padmé, I can explain…!", he started. Padmé stepped back feeling disgusted with his presence.

"Oh, this is just perfect, Anakin. You have a meaningless disagreement with my father and you give up on me, on US?"

"Padmé, I…". She wasn't going to let him talk.

"I thought you were different, that no matter what happened you would fight for us, just like I was willing to. But I see you gave up and forgot about me as soon as someone else came into the picture", she said, her voice sounding plain. Her chin started trembling and her eyes flooded with tears. "You are a piece of work"

Anakin rushed towards her and grasped her upper arms in his hands.

"Padmé, please! You have to listen to me! This isn't what you think!", he pleaded, the desperation in his voice almost convincing her. Padmé raised her eyes to meet his and Anakin's heart almost shattered. Tears streaked her cheeks, her face cringing as if the salty drops burned. He cupped her face and attempted to clear the tears, but her hands quickly shoved his away.

"Don't touch me!", she snapped, stepping backwards and away from his arms. Anakin moved forward and tried to hold her but she kept pushing his hands away. When he finally managed to slip his arms around her to hold her still she met his eyes. "Take your hands off of me! Stay away!", she cried out, no longer caring for her desperate crying. "I don't want to see you EVER again, did you hear me? NEVER!"

Anakin looked at her, his eyes mirroring her shiny orbs. As slowly as possible he released her and gasped in shock when she gave him one final push before she ran up the stairs into her house, leaving Anakin and Keré all by themselves in the empty street.

Keré watched Anakin, her face expressionless. She lifted her eyes when he paced towards her and grabbed her wrists in tight grips.

"WHY? Why did you do it?!", he demanded. Keré smiled evilly.

"Why not do it?", she replied smoothly. Anakin shook her, his face contracting in pain.

"You just ruined something wonderful!! You just ruined the one thing that was right with my life, do you realize that?! I want to know why you did it!!", he pressed. At her innocent giggle, Anakin lost it. "TELL ME!!! TELL ME NOW!!!, he yelled.

Keré managed to free her hands and stepped backwards, her undying half smile still lingering on her lips.

"I don't know, Anakin. I thought it would be interesting to see how much Padmé trusted you. Judging by her reaction when she saw us… I guess she didn't"

Anakin didn't fight his tears anymore. He supported himself on the wall and tried to breathe. His eyes closed and his chest expanded trying to get in much needed air with lousy results. He felt a hand on his shoulder and slowly opened his eyes.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Ani. Do you need someone to comfort you?", Keré asked sarcastically.

Anakin decided to keep his answer to himself and not waste his breath on her, so he shrugged her hand off and picked his bag, slowly walking into the next street. Every step felt heavy and echoed on the walls surrounding him, punctuating his pain.

In the background Keré smiled satisfied.

*

Padmé shut the door to her room and threw herself on her bed, the sobs wracking her body too much to handle. She hugged her pillow, buried her face in it and cried, cried and cried until she thought she would ran out of tears. This couldn't be happening…

A soft knock on her door interrupted her misery. She mumbled a weak 'come in' and resumed her crying. She felt the depression on her mattress when the visitor sat down next to her, gently trailing their fingers through Padmé's hair.

"Mom…", she hiccupped. Sitting up she turned around and impulsively wrapped her arms around her mother, accepting her comfort. Jobal whispered encouraging words into her daughter's ear and ran her hands up and down her back.

"Don't worry, darling. Anakin will be back next week", she soothed, the current status of Padmé and Anakin's relationship unknown to her. Padmé seemed to cry even harder at her mother's words and tightened her arms around her.

"He's not… he's not coming…back", she choked. Jobal frowned at the information Padmé had supplied to her.

"Why not, honey?", she asked softly. Padmé pulled back and cleaned her face with her sleeve.

"I broke up with him", she whispered. Her mother's gasp was no surprise for her and neither were her hands cupping her face tenderly.

"Why? Honey, what happened?", she asked in disbelief. Padmé closed her eyes tightly and more tears rolled down her cheeks, the sobbing and shaking returning to action. Jobal sighed and brought her closer to her, pressing Padmé's head against her shoulder. "Shh…don't worry, honey. Everything will be okay. You are a strong girl. I'm sure you will get over this"

Padmé opened her eyes and stared at the wall.

"I hope you are right"

*

When Anakin arrived to the Jedi Academy that night he expected to be received by Caleb and his lightsaber. Luckily, Caleb knew nothing about the little 'incident' in Naboo.

"So, how was your weekend? Did you meet my family?", he asked curiously. Anakin ignored the first question.

"I met your Keré, your cousin", he said casually. Caleb looked at him in horror.

"You did? Oh, man! She's terrible!"

"Why would you say that?", Anakin asked trying to sound curious. He already knew how terrible Keré could be.

"Well, she's always had this secret envy for Padmé, and my sister is so naïve that she never noticed. So Keré would make up stories and tell them to Padmé's friends and all that. She even stole a boyfriend from her, but Padmé never discovered the truth, she just put all the blame on her", he paused and released a deep sigh. "that's why I was being overprotective when you two started dating. I was afraid that if you had a serious argument she would put all the blame on herself again"

Anakin tried to organize his thoughts, but the information he had received was too much and explained much more. 

"Why didn't you tell Padmé about Keré's actions?", he asked in disbelief. Caleb shrugged and ran a hand through his hair.

"I guess it was her job to realize everything that was happening around her". His roommate gasped. "Anakin, I'm her brother, not her mentor. Besides, she keeps saying that she's grown up and that she can take care of herself", he finished.

Anakin couldn't believe this.

*

Two weeks later.

Naboo

"Stop it!", Padmé cried out. She grabbed her comm. link and threw it against the wall, effectively tearing it to pieces. Heaving a deep sigh she lied back on her bed and stared at the ceiling.

"Him again?", Sabé asked. Padmé turned to look at her roommate and nodded. Sabé shook her head. "Padmé, you have to talk to him. You think I don't notice how much you miss him? You think I don't hear you crying yourself to sleep? Talk to him! You can't keep ignoring his calls"

"I have nothing to say to him", Padmé protested.

"Maybe he does", Sabé added. Padmé glared at her roommate and sighed in distress.

"I just can't believe he would do that to me!", she snapped. When she noticed Sabé's shock she breathed calmly. "You should've seen him… He was behind my house, holding my cousin's face and kissing her… BEHIND MY HOUSE! I mean, if he's going to cheat on me he could at least look for some privacy…", she said sarcastically.

"Pad… Has it ever crossed your mind that maybe he wasn't the one cheating?", Sabé implied. Padmé looked at her.

"What do you mean?", she asked. Sabé rolled her eyes and sat on Padmé's bed.

"You know perfectly well what I mean. Keré. She means trouble"

"Sabé, why would Keré do something like that? She's a beautiful girl, she can have any guy she wants. Besides, she's my cousin". A deep silence settled between Padmé and her roommate. "No, she has nothing to do with this. This is my fault…"

"How is this your fault?", Sabé interrupted. Padmé sighed and tried to ignore the tears forming in her eyes.

"I shouldn't have taken Anakin to my parent's house. Gods, I knew how my dad was whenever I brought a boyfriend. And I was the one who invited Keré for the weekend. I gave him the opportunity and he took it. Sith! How could I bring a girl who is a thousand times better than me to meet my boyfriend? This is all my fault…"

"Padmé, how can you think so low about yourself? You are a million times better than Keré, and it wasn't your fault that Anakin cheated on you", Sabé countered.

"Then whose fault is it?", Padmé asked, her voice already cracky and weak with emotion. Sabé sighed and shook her head.

"I don't know…", she confessed. "But you have to talk to him. Sooner or later you two will meet again and you will have to talk about this. Padmé, stop running away"

"I'm not running away", she snapped. "He was the one who was running away. He couldn't face the fact that my dad didn't accept him. He gave up"

"You don't know that. You wouldn't let him explain!", Sabé protested. Padmé sat up and punched the mattress in distress. 

"What is there to explain in all this? 'Padmé, I was kissing your cousin'? I knew that, I SAW them!!", she cried out. Determined, Sabé crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head.

"Don't always believe what your eyes see, Padmé. You were blinded by the image of Anakin and Keré together and you won't open your eyes to see anything else than that!"

"I don't need to open my eyes! I'm finally seeing things clearly! I knew that Anakin was a player even before we got together. This is all my fault, I knew what I was getting myself into…", she sighed, covering her face with her hands. Sabé stood up and looked down at her roommate.

"Padmé, maybe Anakin changed. No player would do all the things he did so you two could be together. He got a job, he did extra hours in the Academy, he prepared special dates when you were in Courasant… Padmé, nobody does that for a conquest, they do it for love".

Padmé met Sabé's eyes and held her gaze for a long moment. She pondered on her words and realized they were true. Maybe she did need to talk to him… She was about to borrow Sabé's comm. link to call Anakin but she thought it over and decided to go to Courasant. It would be much different if they talked things through in person. Padmé smiled at Sabé, who immediately shook her head.

"Oh, no, no… You are NOT going there! We are not supposed to leave school until two more weeks! The dean will have your head for this!!". 

Padmé nodded. Sabé was right. Smiling dismissively, she shrugged.

"Screw the dean".


	19. The Meeting

A/N: Okay, this story is almost finished. It's just that there's nothing more I want to add. I already wrote about contradicting behavior, desires/hormones, self-doubt, irresponsibility, rebel attitudes, relationship with family, inner conflicts and I'm about to write about psychological issues. Frankly, there's nothing else I need to add, so why push it?

Enjoy this because it's one of the last posts.

*******************************************************************************************************

The flight to Courasant was longer than Padmé remembered. How could six hours seem like 50? //I'm just nervous…//, she thought. It had taken her another week to gain the courage to take the shuttle to Courasant. That mean that she hadn't seen Anakin in three weeks. //Three weeks!//. It felt like years…

When she finally arrived to the Academy she went straight into Anakin's dorm, but the only one to receive her there was a relieved Caleb. When he caught sight of his sister he rushed to hug her.

"Padmé! Thank Gods you are here! You finally got my message!!", he blurt out. Padmé pulled back from her brother's embrace and frowned at him.

"W…What message?", she asked confused. 

"I called you a million times and you never answered! Well, I had to use Anakin's comm. link because I lost mine…", he explained.

//So that's why I was getting so many calls from Anakin's comm. link//

"What message are you talking about? My comm. link broke so I couldn't check my messages…", she said. Caleb's face seemed to fall. He sighed and invited Padmé to sit down next to him on his bed. Padmé knew something was wrong. "Caleb… where's Anakin?", she asked, fearing the worst.

"Anakin was expelled from the Academy", he informed. Padmé gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. "He sensed his mother was in danger and asked the dean to let him go there and save her. The dean said no and he went anyways and he left everything here. When he got to Tatooine to rescue his mother… he was too late. She died… in his arms", he finished.

Padmé's eyes flooded with tears, her chest contracting in anguish. His mother died and she wasn't there for him. Caleb pulled her closer to comfort her though he needed some comfort himself. So the siblings cried together and tried to soothe each other with no success.

"I don't understand why he wouldn't let me tell you… When I called you I had to wait for him to leave the room or he wouldn't allow me call you. But he refused to tell you, he said you shouldn't be involved and that it was his business. Padmé, what happened between you? He hasn't been the same since he got back from Naboo and after his mother died it got worst. He wouldn't talk to anyone and when the dean called him to his office to tell him he had to leave the Academy he didn't protest. He's emotionless. What happened?", he insisted. 

Padmé pulled back and dried her tears. She took a deep breath and looked at her brother. "When we were on Naboo I caught Anakin kissing Keré"

Caleb opened his eyes widely in shock. It was no surprise Keré would do something like that, but Anakin doing it after all he and Padmé had go through together… It was impossible.

"You broke up with him?", he asked in disbelief. Padmé just nodded. "But Padmé! You know it was Keré's fault! She's always looking for new ways of hurting you! Gods… did you even let Anakin explain what happened?"

"No", she whispered. Caleb sighed and shook his head.

"That explains a lot"

"Listen, Caleb. I have to talk to Anakin. Do you know where he is?", she asked.

"Yes, he's still working in that droid garage around the corner. He's working full time there now"

"Good. I'll go see him right now"

*

Padmé walked into the store hesitantly, her hands shaking in her pockets. She passed some broken droids and followed the directions the owner had given her in order to find Anakin. Sure enough, behind three big containers was Anakin showing his back to her,  wearing a pair of worn out pants, his back covered in oil, grease and dust. His Padawan braid and ponytail were gone and he looked really concentrated in his task of fixing droid parts. Taking one steadying breath, Padmé stepped closer.

"Hello, Anakin", she greeted. Anakin dropped what he was doing and remained still for a while. Slowly he turned around to face his visitor. Padmé had to keep her shock to herself when she saw him.

He had changed so much. His eyes weren't gentle and didn't have that undying mischievous twinkle in them anymore. His expression was hard and uninviting. His hair was dirty and looked sticky with dirt. His chest wasn't that clean either. It was as dirty as his back, with stains of grease and dirt.

"What are you doing here?", he muttered, barely moving. Padmé cleared her throat and walked a few steps to be closer to him.

"I heard about your mother".

"Oh, so now you feel sorry for me? Thanks, Padmé, but I don't need your pity". He turned to continue his work, giving his back to her again. Hurt and rejected, Padmé stepped closer until she was at arms length from him.

"I'm not doing this out of pity. Anakin, we need to talk", she said. Anakin resumed his repairs and ignored her. "Anakin…", she insisted. He turned around and shot her a hard glare.

"What?", he asked sharply. Padmé gasped and resisted the urge to step back. She had come here for a reason and she would not go until she talked to him.

"We have to talk about us and what happened in Naboo".

"There's nothing to talk about. You wouldn't listen to me when I tried to explain"

"But I'm listening now", she pressed. She didn't like Anakin's sarcastic chuckle.

"Oh, so we are doing things your way? So we talk whenever you feel like it? We do whatever you want? I hate to break it to you, Padmé, but you won't control me…"

"I'm not controlling you! I want to talk about this! I wouldn't talk about it before because I was too shocked! I realize that I was being unfair when I didn't give you a chance to explain yourself, that's why I came here today", she explained. Anakin grabbed a towel and cleaned the sweat from his face. When he was finished he threw it to a nearby chair and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"Okay. Keré lied to me saying that she had a headache and that she wanted me to heal her. I was about to do just that when she grabbed me and forcefully kissed me. Then you showed up and I tried to explain but you wouldn't let me because you were in the middle of your dramatic breakdown", he said in a monotone voice. Padmé just looked at him. "Does that explain anything, dearest?", he added, his voice rich with sarcasm. 

"Yes. I'm sorry…", she started weakly.

"What was that?", Anakin interrupted, bringing his hand to his ear.

"I'm sorry", she said more firmly. "For misjudging you, for not trusting you, for not giving you a chance to explain yourself". She paused and took a deep breath. Raising her eyes to meet his she asked: "Do you forgive me?"

"Yes", he whispered. Padmé smiled hopefully. "And you can erase that smile from your face. We are not getting back together", he informed.

"Why not?", she demanded in shock. Anakin sighed heavily and rolled his eyes.

"With what purpose? Look at me!", he said, motioning for her to look at his dirty form. "I'm just a Jedi wannabe! I work in a droid garage fixing things! I'm just a slave, remember? Your father was right, this will never work…"

"It's only true if you believe it! And I don't believe it!", she snapped. Anakin stepped forward until he was looking down at her.

"Well I do. I'm nobody. I'm just a fatherless orphan whose mother died in a dirty planet in the arms of her dirty son…"

"Stop saying that", Padmé cut in, tears filling her eyes again. But he was nowhere near finished yet.

"I'm just a dirty 19 year-old who is trusted by no one. Not by the dean, not by his teachers, not by his ex-girlfriend's father. Not even by you".

"I trust you!", she protested almost hysterically.

"And it took you three weeks to realize that?", he asked sharply.

"Yes", she whispered. Padmé looked into his eyes and noticed that he was fighting an inner battle with himself. "Ani, what happened to you?"

"I saw the truth for the first time. I couldn't keep you, I couldn't save my mother, I couldn't stay in the Academy… Force, I didn't even ask for a second chance! I'm worthless"

"Stop this!", Padmé cried out. "Stop this self-loathing act! You couldn't save your mother, but that wasn't your fault! You didn't ask for a second chance in the Academy because you were too shocked by her death! You lost me because I wouldn't listen to you!". They looked at each other for a long moment. "But you can have me back, that's why I came here"

"I don't deserve you", he whispered, once again motioning to his dirty and miserable self. "Besides, I can't be with someone who doesn't trust me. And no matter how many times you say it, I know you don't". By now Padmé's face was covered with tears. "I'm nothing", he said before he turned around, once again concentrating on his work. Though the last thing in his mind were the droids.

Padmé stood behind him for long minutes, just watching the back of his head as if all the answers she needed were there.

"You are not the same Anakin I remember. You used to be confident and ambitious, you knew what you wanted in life and you worked hard to achieve it. Now you just give up on everything that was important in your life", she accused. Anakin turned to look at her, still holding the greasy tools in his hands.

"My goal in life was to be a Jedi to free my mother and make her proud. Now she's dead and all that was good in my life is gone". Padmé listened to him and stepped closer to him, forcing her to look up at him.

"What about me?", she asked hopefully. When he didn't answer she moved closer. Anakin looked away.

"What about you?", he asked back, trying to sound uninterested. Not even he was buying his act so he decided to push it further. "Get out of here. You don't need me"

"I'll be the one to judge that. Do you need me?", she questioned. Anakin fixed his eyes on her, his breathing coming heavy and harsh.

"Yes. I need you to get out of here. If you still care a little for me then you will let me finish my work".

Hurt and offended, Padmé bit her lip and retraced her steps. She was about to disappear behind the containers when a sudden thought crossed her mind. She returned to Anakin's side and once again noticed he was fixing the droids. She didn't care if he was giving her back to her. She wouldn't leave until he answered what she needed to hear so badly. Stepping closer, she cleared her throat. Anakin turned around to meet her eyes.

"Do you love me?", Padmé asked firmly. She waited for Anakin's answer.


	20. Open

A/N: Sorry for the cliffhanger. On with the LAST chapter. It's really long. 8 pages in Word!

Warning: I suck at endings.

Enjoy.

*******************************************************************************************************

"Get out", he hissed.

"You haven't answered my question", Padmé pressed.

"I'm not answering"

"Why not?"

"Because you will not believe me. If you don't trust me then we don't have a future. You will think that I'm doing it to take advantage of you and…"

"I'm not asking you what I think. I'm asking you what YOU feel", she interrupted, her hand timidly reaching up o touch his face. He pulled back from her touch.

"Don't touch me", he said, almost disgusted.

"I want to touch you"

"I'm dirty. I don't want to ruin your clothes", he objected. Padmé noticed the double intent on his words. Everything he said pointed at him being a 'dirty slave'. She ignored it and repeated her request more fervently than before. "Padmé, just… leave me alone. I need to be alone"

"Why?", she demanded. "For what? To keep feeling sorry for yourself?"

"Yes. Got a problem with that?", he asked defiantly. Part of him hated to feel like this, but the other part of him loved it. He couldn't explain it. There was something incredibly appealing about being miserable. Everyone gave up on you and you could enjoy your self-loathing at peace. It was so easy to be the victim…

Padmé knew exactly what he felt because she had felt it far too many times. She remembered how awful it was to feel sorry for one's self, how one could sink into an endless abyss where everything was dark and cold. And she didn't want Anakin to feel like that. He didn't deserve it.

"Yes, I've got a problem with that", she said firmly. Anakin glared at her pleadingly.

"Leave me alone".

"No"

"Leave me alone", he repeated. Padmé shook her head. "Why do you insist on this? I just want to be alone! My mother died a week ago! I have to live my pain by myself!". Padmé noticed that his voice started to shake. "I have nothing to live for anymore!"

"Yes you do. Anakin, you are a very skillful man! You have everything to be a great Jedi and you just gave up! What would your mother think of this?", she dared to ask. Anakin lost it.

"I've told you this before, don't mention my mother!", he snapped. Padmé fought the urge to step back at his outburst, but remained in her place. She studied his eyes. There was a deep sadness in them, greater than anger and deeper than plain hate. Anakin was keeping everything to himself. A thought struck her.

"Did you cry?", she asked all of the sudden. Anakin's jaw clenched. "Did you? Did you cry when your mother died?"

"What for?", he whispered. Padmé felt her heart sinking. He didn't cry. He had so much sadness and pain inside of him but he wouldn't let it out.

"Ani…". When her hand finally touched his cheek his eyes became brilliant. "It's okay, Ani", she insisted in a soft whisper. Her arms locked around his neck and pulled him closer, his arms defenseless at his sides. Anakin gave a little jump and tried to pull back but she wouldn't let him. 

"I'm dirty", he insisted, his voice starting to crack. Padmé pulled back a little and smiled at him. One of her hands came to caress his face in a tender and accepting gesture, slowly familiarizing with the feel of his skin. Yes, he was dirty and sweaty and grease covered part of his forehead and chin, but she didn't mind.

When he felt her lips pressing a soft kiss on his cheek his eyes closed and days of pent up tears rolled down his cheeks. He dropped his tools and crushed Padmé to him in a fierce embrace taking the breath out of her in its strength. She smiled in relief and held him closer, her hand resting on his hair and missing his braid and ponytail. 

They spent long minutes holding each other, Anakin's sobs shaking his body and forcing Padmé to hold him tighter. Eventually his tears cleaned his face and he cried until there was nothing left. When he calmed himself realization struck him. //She walked away from you. She wouldn't listen to you//. Quickly he untangled himself from Padmé's arms and stepped back until his legs touched his work table.

"I'm sorry… Leave me alone", he started all over again, this time his tone not at all convincing. Padmé sighed and shook her head.

"What's happening to you? Tell me!", she demanded harshly, sick and tired of his games.

"I don't have to tell you anything! If you don't trust _me_ I don't see why I have to trust _you_", he hissed.

"I told you I was sorry! I made a mistake and I came here to make it up!", Padmé protested.

"Oh, so you think you can have my anytime you want? You expect me to receive you with open arms?", he asked, his voice full of irony. 

"Tell me. Tell me what I have to do for you to take me back", she said determinedly. 

"You could start by leaving me alone", he said as he leaned down to pick up his tools. When he stood straight, he gave her a sharp glance and returned to his work. Padmé stared at his back.

"No. I told you I wouldn't leave you like this. Anakin, this conversation is going nowhere fast. Why don't you admit it?", she asked. Anakin turned around.

"Admit what?", he spat out. Padmé took a deep breath and moved closer to him

"That you love me. That you need me", she whispered. "I know that I love you and that I need you", she said softly, "I don't see why you can't do the same"

"Because it's not true unless I feel it". Padmé felt a sharp stab in her heart. He couldn't be serious.

"And do you?", she asked. Anakin looked into her eyes trying to decide what to say. Before he answered her he looked away.

"No".

"At least look at me when you say it!", she snapped. Anakin's eyes returned to hers and held them for a while. Padmé noticed how his jaw clenched and unclenched several times. 

"No", he said, this time more firmly than before. Padmé searched the truth in his eyes but found nothing. His eyes were empty. She lowered her gaze to the floor and tried to think. "It's not that hard, Padmé, really. I just don't love you and I don't need you. Too hard words for you?"

"Shut up", she said harshly.

"Oh, no, no. You will not order me to shut up. Now, if you would be kind enough", he grabbed her arm and dragged her across the workshop, "I'd like to be alone".

Padmé squirmed to get free from his hold and succeeded. She straightened her clothes and looked at him, her eyes filled with tears. "Fine, I'll go. But this is not over, Anakin. This is not the last you've seen of me"

********

"So", Caleb started, "how did it go?". Padmé let out an exhausted sigh and lied down on what used to be Anakin's bed.

"Terrible. He wouldn't listen and when I finally got him to show his feelings he backed away", she complained.

"Well, he's a basket case right now, Padmé. I mean, losing you first and then his mother… It must be pretty hard for him"

"But he can have me back! He just doesn't want to!", she cried out. Caleb sat down next to her and covered her hand in a sympathetic gesture. 

"You have to give him time. He's hurt and confused and his pride won't let him act according to his feelings". Padmé looked at her brother and shook her head.

"Why do guys have to be so complicated?", she asked more to herself than to her brother. Caleb chuckled lightly.

"Girls made us this way"

*

One week later.

Padmé had tried everything to get to Anakin but he kept ignoring her, afraid that she might destroy the wall he had built around him. Many times he tried to convince himself that he didn't need her, but with every day that passed he realized that his conviction was fake. He did need her, but there was the ruling part of him that told him to let her go. His mother had died, he had been expelled from the Academy, he had lost Padmé. If he couldn't have all three of them, then he would have none. One wasn't good without the other. Just like that. What he didn't know was that by following his ambitious, greedy realizations he was losing his chance to be happy.

Padmé had tried, he had to give that to her. She would visit him every single day at the same time and bring him anything he might need. Of course, he never accepted anything. Not even that small box containing his favorite snack. He had to bite his tongue to keep himself from begging for it. She even visited him on the small room he was renting in the lower levels of Courasant. Padmé and Anakin both knew how dangerous it was down there but she didn't seem to care. She was restless in her pursue.

Padmé realized it was her fault that Anakin didn't talk to her anymore, and she knew that she had to make it up to him, but she was getting tired. The man was as stubborn as she! She decided to give him one more week, but if he didn't respond, then it was over. 

Forever.

One day, she and Anakin were sitting on the grass in one of Courasant's few small parks. Actually, Padmé had followed Anakin there during his lunch break and when he didn't object, she sat next to him and watched him as he had lunch. They didn't talk. At least he didn't, for Padmé babbled about everything and everyone, tempting him to respond. But he never did. They just sat there and she watched him as he had lunch.

That started to be an everyday routine. She would follow him everywhere, walking by his side and despite her frustration she would secretly smile at his stubbornness. Anakin had to admit that what they were doing was pretty stupid but he wasn't about to tell her. She even followed him when he returned to the Jedi Academy to ask for a second chance, and she sat by his side when the dean told him that they would evaluate his case. He didn't say thank you when she gave him hopes. He was determined to win the war they had secretly started between them. She wanted to win him back, he wanted her to stay away. 

Yet… he didn't know how much time he would be able to resist her.

*

Anakin was finishing his fixing of a droid before his lunch break while Padmé waited for him sitting on a metal box by his work table. She watched his hands as they moved skillfully through the tools and different droid parts making quick work of them. Her eyes followed his hands up his arms, then his shoulders and his golden chest. Then they moved up his neck and his stern face. She spent long minutes staring at his profile, silently hoping for him to turn around and smile at her, or at least look at her. But he never did. All his focus was on his work.

Padmé started to remember better times when everything was perfect between them. She smiled to herself when she remembered the day they met and how much they despised each other. Even that seemed better than this… At least they talked to each other. Her mind drifted to their first date, to that time in her apartment when they first spoke their true feelings for each other, to their time in the lake retreat… She sighed nostalgically and fixed her eyes on the floor.

//What am I doing here? He doesn't want to be with me. I've been following him everywhere, I've tried everything to have him back… He doesn't even speak to me. He never looks at me like he used to. Face it, Padmé, he doesn't want to be with you//

She saw herself from Anakin's eyes and realized how pathetic she was. No matter how hard she tried, nothing worked. He showed no signs of progress. Her reverie was interrupted when Anakin's comm. link beeped. He reached for it and answered the call.

"Skywalker here", Anakin said. A hologram of his boss, We'kli appeared in front of him.

"Hey, Skywalker. Some dean Flyus from the Jedi Academy called. He said you've been accepted". Anakin nodded. Padmé had to keep herself from jumping to his arms and congratulating him. "Now stop working. It's almost your lunch break", We'kli ordered mockingly. Anakin smiled lightly.

"Okay. Thanks".

Padmé watched as he ended the call and placed his comm. link at his waist. He reached for a towel and cleaned his hands and then his face. Sighing tiredly, he pulled his shirt on and buttoned it up. After making sure he was presentable, he made his way through the garage.

Padmé remained in her seat, her eyes finding the floor once again. This was the end. No more 'stalking', as she called it. No more vane efforts. She would let Anakin continue his life and she would try to continue hers, even if it hurt.

Anakin hadn't walked more than eight steps when he suddenly stopped and turned his head to look at Padmé, his brow arched in confusion.

"Aren't you coming?", he asked. Padmé's head flew up and her eyes met his.

"W…w…what?", she stuttered. Anakin turned around and approached her.

"Well, it's my lunch break…", he started, "and you are supposed to join me".

Padmé was certain that if her jaw hung more open it would touch the floor. Hesitantly, she stood up and walked towards him. Anakin just looked at her, his face expressionless.

"What does this mean?", she asked. Anakin sighed dramatically and pretended to be distressed.

"It means that I'm having lunch and that you have to join me. Is that too hard for you to understand? Now let's go", he said. Padmé caught the almost inexistent smile on his lips before he turned around and resumed his walking. He stopped again and without turning extended his hand. Padmé gasped and as calmly as possible walked to his side and slid her hand in his.

He kept walking and tugged her along with him, perfectly knowing that she was smiling. Padmé didn't remember the last time she was this happy. What did this mean, after all? Where they back together? Was this just a start? Was he at least going to talk to her? 

"And in answer to your question, yes", his deep voice mumbled. Padmé's eyes flew to his.

"What question?", she asked quickly. She had asked him at least a thousand questions the past 10 days!

"The one you asked me the other day", he replied lamely, testing her temper.

"Could you be a little more specific?", she pleaded. Anakin fought to keep his smile to himself.

"The one I answered with a 'get out', remember?"

"Well, you've been telling me that a lot lately…", she joked. Anakin suddenly stopped and looked at her.

"Try to remember", he whispered. Padmé's mind raced with memories of the past week and all the questions she had asked whose possible answers could be 'yes' marched in front of her eyes.

_"Do you forgive me?"_

_"Do you need me?"_

_"For what? To keep feeling sorry about yourself?"_

_"Did you cry?"_

_"Do you love me?"_

The last memory rang a bell inside her head, materializing in a sharp gasp. Anakin just nodded. Padmé had mixed feelings. She was absolutely happy but at the same time annoyed by his tranquil and laid back demeanor. He had just confessed that he loved her and he could only nod? This infuriated Padmé. How could he stay so calmed? 

//So he thinks he can be all cool about this? Well, two can play this game//, Padmé thought wickedly. 

"Oh. Good", she said plainly. She looked to the front and continued walking, tugging on Anakin's hand and urging him to follow her. It was his turn to be furious. He stopped and pulled her back so that she was facing him, holding her hand tightly.

"Excuse me?", he asked, clearly offended. Padmé rolled her eyes and sighed, pretending to be annoyed. 

"What?", she asked tiredly. She almost laughed at the shock in his face.

Revenge was so sweet.

"I just told you something very important!", he whined.

"So?", she shrugged. Anakin almost stamped his foot on the floor in agitation.

"So I expect to get a reaction from you!", he insisted. Padmé mentally congratulated herself. Oh, this was SO good!

"Oh, that", she said dryly, as if it was an every day thing. She felt Anakin's possessiveness in the way his hand held hers tighter and the way he unconsciously came closer to her.

"I just told you I loved you!", he cried out. Padmé smiled in victory. He had finally said it.

"Oh, do you?", she asked, her smile widening. Anakin just gave her a half smile when he realized he had fallen in her game, and once again, she had won. In order to celebrate her victory, he decided to let her know the truth.

"Yes, I do, Padmé. I love you", he finally said. His eyes remained fixed on hers expecting a reply. Padmé shook her head and sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, I love you too, Anakin", she said as if it was a great sacrifice to say those words. Anakin chuckled and shook his head, pulling her to him and circling her waist with his arms.

"You are impossible", he commented. Padmé just smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I learned from the best…", she replied slyly. Anakin smiled and leaned down to kiss her. Only then did Padmé allow herself to believe everything was going to be all right again. It had taken her some time to convince him that they belonged together, and many tears were shed in the way, but the outcome was worth all the trouble.

Anakin hadn't feel that relieved since… well, in a long time. He thought he had lost Padmé forever, and when she came to him asking him to take her back his pride kept him from following his heart. Finally, and to Anakin's absolute bliss, his heart had defeated his pride, his anger and his hard feelings. He had lost his mother, but he had Padmé and the Jedi Academy again. He realized this was as good as it gets.

Anakin finally pulled back and looked down to stare into Padmé's inviting eyes, quite the opposite from the was she looked at him when they first met. He smiled to himself remembering that day.

Who said you couldn't find love in the Jedi Academy?

The End.

*******************************************************************************************************

I know, I know… lame ending. But I wanted to leave it open for speculations. (um… yeah, right…)

Thanks for your reviews, I feel like a queen right now, LOL. This story is very special to me because it led me to find a new friend. **You know who you are, brat!! Love ya! **

Bob with 2 o's: you made my day, man. Thank you SO much for your kind words.

Thugstra: Thank you too. I hope you got my e-mail.

Korifi: E-mail me and I'll send you 'Upside Down'. My e-mail is in my bio.

One more thing…

**Isn't sologirl the GREATEST???!!!!!!**

Okay, enough of my stupid and unnecessary author notes. Review and tell me what you think. A new story is coming up, hopefully the first chapter will be up within a few days. Quoting Padmé in a few lines above: "THIS IS NOT THE LAST YOU'VE SEEN OF ME!!!"

And as Justin Timberlake put it in his song _Señorita_: 

"That's it!"


End file.
